The Need 2 Speed
by thag-the-upset
Summary: The long-awaited sequel to The Need for Speed. Yes, you HAVE to read that first. Amy and the others finally get their answers... but at what cost? (COMPLETE)
1. Shadow: The Path That Lead Us Here

THE NEED 2 SPEED  
  
Shadow: The Path That Lead Us Here  
  
Who are you? What is that one word that sums up who you are, what you can do?  
  
My name is Shadow, and that word for me is 'speed'.  
  
Or it used to be.  
  
Some time ago, I was freed from my decades-long sleep in suspended animation. The man who freed me, deep within the confines of G.U.N. HQ, was Dr. Robotnik. As the grandson of the man who created me I assumed, correctly, he woke me for the same reasons I was created.  
  
Knowledge, power, destruction.  
  
The planet Earth had stolen everything important to me, and to my creator. So I granted his grandson what he wanted in the same manner that was first intended. I led this man to the knowledge of the A.R.K., the power of the Chaos Emeralds, and the destruction they together caused.  
  
I had done my duty. I did what I was created for, and had nothing else to live for. Yet since I awoke, I had encountered a small band of rivals multiple times. Why did they resist us? Why did they risk their lives for a world that hated them, that saw them as freaks? I watched on the A.R.K's familiar monitors as they joined forces with the man who awoke me, and the third of our team, Rouge.  
  
I wondered about all this as they frantically attempted to stop the destruction that was of their own hands. But why should I try to help them? Why should I save these petty fools?  
  
Then Amy, the pink hedgehog girl came and pleaded with me to join them. I asked her why should I? Why should I care for a world full of people that scrambled over and destroyed one another?  
  
"Because every life is precious. EVERYONE is worth fighting for."  
  
Words I had heard before. Not from my rival, not from the professor, from her.  
  
She was. She was someone worth fighting for. She thought I was too, as she sacrificed herself to save me all those years ago.  
  
A tragedy I had wanted to correct for years. And here was my chance.  
  
To hell with Robotnik, to hell with the world. I wanted to save them for her. To please her as she looked down form heaven.  
  
I ran with all my strength to the heart of the A.R.K., knowing my rival, and my greatest challenge were waiting.  
  
Sure enough, Sonic stood facing down the Biolizard, the professor's ultimate creation, built to guard the Chaos Emerald Chamber, to ensure that the professor's last, twisted wish came true.  
  
Sonic was hunched over and breathing heavily, it was obvious the security systems had worn him down, and he was the only other one there fast enough to stand a chance against the Biolizard.  
  
So I stepped forward. I would stop my fellow creation while the others steadied our rapidly decaying orbit.  
  
It was terrible, having to battle this thing that was, in some sense, my brother. The last link between my life of decades past and today's world. It was no match for my speed, and I crashed through the life- support system on it's back. It shreiked in agony, and vanished in a brilliant flash.  
  
And I was alone. The abomination was never what I called a friend, but now everything, EVERYTHING I knew of my past life was dead or destroyed. The last of which by my own hand.  
  
I dashed onward, and caught up to the others in time to see Knuckles' Master Emerald call down the Chaos Emeralds and thereby disarm the reactor. Despite this, we felt the station continue to plummet. The Biolizard had moved to the outside of the A.R.K., and was pulling it downward.  
  
I cursed silently, despite my best efforts, I had failed. I could not fulfill my promise to Maria. The Earth and the people on it would be obliterated, due in part from my actions.  
  
'Why?' I asked myself. 'Why am I so powerless? I am the ultimate life form! The pinnacle of all science, evolution, creation! I need more, I need more power!'  
  
I closed my eyes, determined not to let these creatures I didn't know see my tears.  
  
'Maria,' I pleaded, 'I am sorry. I cannot do this alone. Please, help me Maria!'  
  
In my mind's eye, I felt a distant warmth in the bleakness of my pain and despair. A light, that hung like a rope in front of me, ringing with familiarity, comfort and hope. I reached out for it, and I grabbed it.  
  
It was like grabbing lightning. Energy and power suddenly surged through me, like a dam of strength had burst. It was infinately painful, and it took every ounce of resolve to keep myself from being swallowed up in the cascade of force.  
  
But it was wonderful.  
  
My muscles throbbed with potential and I could see, no, feel the engergies of all living things, like streams that flowed through everything.  
  
Glowing with seemingly infinite power, Sonic and I stepped out into the space.  
  
I quickly found that by mere thought, I could "sail" these life streams at incredible speeds. Between Sonic and I, the Finalhazard had no chance of survival.  
  
Sonic seemed used to this power, but he seemed sad that I could do it.  
  
With the Finalhazard destroyed, Sonic and I channeled our power and used my technique.  
  
"CHAOS CONTROL!"  
  
The A.R.K. was restored to it's former orbit, and Sonic flew up to rejoin his friends.  
  
What about me? No one on the station was waiting for me. The only one who was waiting for me was doing so on the other side.  
  
So I decided to fall, and go to her.  
  
But Shadow, a voice seemed to whisper. Why join her in death, when with this power you can have her join you in life?  
  
As it spoke, it became so. I was back in the past, trapped in that terrible escape pod.  
  
"Live Shadow," It was Maria, it was REALLY her. "I want you to live."  
  
"I want you to too..."  
  
With my "Super" power, I crashed through the glass. I tore through the A.R.K., chaos controlling every G.U.N. soldier I encountered back to Earth, and crushing any robot that stood in my way.  
  
I WOULD correct that wrong. I would not be robbed of all I cared for this time. Not again...  
  
In a matter of seconds, it was as it was supposed to be. The professor, Maria and I.  
  
Seeing no option left short of destroying Earth, which Maria would never allow, we left the Solar System. The A.R.K. took off for unknown worlds.  
  
Years passed. We were all so happy. We explored the universe, and saw things no human or hedgehog had ever seen before. Maria would stare longingly out a view-port now and then, obviously remembering the world she had left behind, but I always managed to cheer her up.  
  
At some point, the professor passed on, but managed to integrate his mind into the A.R.K.'s computers beforehand, so despite his mortality, we remained under his caring vigil.  
  
But it seems that Fate wasn't done with me yet.  
  
One day we were happily eating breakfast when something, some terrible sense of fear, dread and hatred came over me. I leapt up from the table and flew about the A.R.K., desperately searching for whatever caused this sensation.  
  
I checked, double-checked and triple-checked every single chamber I could think of. I always found nothing, but the intensity of the feelings grew every second. I quickly realized with terror that I had left Maria alone for who knows how long.  
  
A distant alarm sounded, and suddenly every defensive system in the station activated, and I found myself periodically attacked by the armaments meant to protect us. I soared back to her as fast as I could. She was still in the mess hall, but had been backed into a corner by a shadow. A figure, without an exact form. A swirling mass of negative energy, it seemed to radiate a sense of evil.  
  
I hurled myself at the strange foe, but a security cannon managed to strike me down at the last moment. In a rage, I destroyed it.  
  
Still transformed after all these years, it hadn't hurt me, but it was enough to knock me off my feet.  
  
Which might've been worse.  
  
For as I regained my focus and was distracted, the figure had changed. It grew a more stable outline. It looked vaguely like me, but it's right arm was large and misshapen. And it glowed with a furious aura.  
  
The form attacked, and we were locked in combat. I was furious to discover it was just as fast, and just as powerful as I was.  
  
We traded blows for some time, then the monstrous right arm slammed onto my face.  
  
It burned, yet my face suddenly felt cold, like it's life was being pulled away. The chill of weakness spread like a plague through my body. I thrashed madly, striking wild blows against my foe, but his grip only intensified.  
  
As I lost strength and spiraled towards death, I heard a voice.  
  
"Shadow! Stop this! We fought too hard for you to destroy it all now!"  
  
"Son... ic...?"  
  
The darkness of unconsciousness began to slowly creep in, and for a brief moment I saw multicolored crystal fingers over my eyes, and between them a vaguely familiar blue hedgehog.  
  
The figure unleashes a mighty roar of furious agony, and his grip loosens.  
  
With my little remaining power, I thrash my way out of my grip and soar away to regroup.  
  
I look at the figure to determine what caused it's painful cry.  
  
"Ma... ri... a..."  
  
She's jammed a knife into the creature's back. Anyone could see the fear, terror and determination in her face. But I knew her better than anyone.  
  
She was sad.  
  
Her bringing pain to this thing tore her up inside. For some reason she cared about this thing that was trying to kill us.  
  
Her compassion was not shared however.  
  
Our foe seemed to move in slow-motion, and I charged ahead as fast as I could in my weakened state. I watched as it turned to face Maria, her resolve unwavering.  
  
"MARIA! RUN!" I screamed, but she just stood facing it. I moved as fast as I could, but the room seemed to stretch, them moving three feet for every one I crossed. "MARIA!"  
  
The right hand that had nearly claimed my life snapped up to her throat and lifted her off the ground.  
  
And she did nothing. Just hung there limply with tears in her eyes.  
  
I crashed into him like a freight train, and knocked us both away from her as her body fell to the floor.  
  
"DAMN YOU!" I cried as I attacked the thing. "YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED HER!  
  
Again the right hand clamped onto my face.  
  
"No, I didn't"  
  
I froze in confusion, had it heard me, did it speak to me?  
  
"Give in," It said. "There's no time to explain. You have carried your burden too long..."  
  
I glanced to the side at Maria's crumpled form. "I'm sorry. I failed you. I'll see you soon..." I whispered. Just before it all went black two words rang out loud and clear:  
  
"CHAOS CONTROL!"  
  
--------------------  
  
That was two years ago.  
  
I woke up on Earth. It was nothing more than a horrible vision. A lie that the Chaos Emerald's power fed my brain while my empowered body went into a rampage.  
  
Sonic risked his own sanity at the hands of the chaos to save me. To save this world he cared so much about.  
  
According to Knuckles, Rouge and Tails, I had all but destroyed G.U.N., killed Dr. Robotnik, and attempted to destroy the world. Sonic was able to stop me by somehow fusing with the Chaos Emeralds, but at a terrible cost.  
  
Overcome for a moment in a berserker rage, he tried to kill Amy. She had attacked him to save me from being totally absorbed. She was alive, and awake, but remained catatonic to this day. Not attempting to eat, speak, hell even acknowledge the world around her.  
  
To make matters worse, Sonic had vanished off the face of the Earth. Someone that was now twice as powerful as I had been, tormented by who knows what kind of horrors, and to whom I owe my life, for what it's worth.  
  
Tails has helped rebuild G.U.N. in return for access to Dr. Robotnik's files about Sonic, Super Sonic and the emeralds. Diligently searching for some answers as to what happened to his friend, and how to help him.  
  
Moving around, even today, is like first moving after a long sleep. My entire body aches and is sluggish, despite my best attempts of training.  
  
Plus, it seems whatever "gift" I had that had allowed me to use the energies of the Chaos Emeralds was gone now.  
  
I've never told anyone about my strange visions. The only one who'd understand is gone...  
  
Little did I know that today, the second anniversary of our battle, would see his return...  
  
--------------------  
  
A/N: Whew, it's been a long time coming, but the sequel to "Need for Speed" is here! Don't worry all you comedy buffs, I'll continue working on "Knuckles Goes Looking for Love" as well, but I gotta tell you, comedy (well GOOD comedy at least) is MUCH harder than drama. Obviously, since this is the SEQUEL to "Need for Speed" you kinda have to read that fic to have ANY idea what's going on. Most likely, if you're reading this you already have, so you know I start off kinda slow, but it will pick up quickly. Thank you for reading, please review as well. 


	2. Knuckles: A Hero's Fall

THE NEED 2 SPEED  
  
Knuckles: A Hero's Fall  
  
"Just for the record," I said grimly, "this will never work."  
  
"It will Knuckles," Tails said. "It has to..."  
  
An ominous wind blew over us, and I shivered. It wasn't that cold, but you tend to feel icy when you know death is hurdling towards you.  
  
Shadow didn't seem to mind the chill, heck he seemed so... empty. For these two years since Sonic vanished, he has seemed so, distant.  
  
Well, even more so than usual. He barely utters a word these days. Especially the last 12 hours.  
  
That's when we heard the news.  
  
Sonic was coming back.  
  
Tails had been working with G.U.N., examining Robotnik's files as he tried to figure out what had happened after the A.R.K.  
  
He got the word from a military grunt monitoring a deep-space probe. After viewing the data from it, he determined that Sonic, possessing twice the power of Super Sonic, would reach Earth in 12 hours.  
  
He told Admiral Smythe 24.  
  
I don't know why he did, but I was glad he lied. G.U.N. had stopped taking care of Shadow and Amy last year, even though they both still needed serious help. Plus we weren't exactly on good terms beforehand...  
  
And so, here we were. The calculated point of impact. Tails had managed to come up with a plan, but like I said, it seemed pretty iffy.  
  
Shadow stood upon a giant metal plate and looked towards the sky, obviously pissed with his role as bait.  
  
"There!" Rouge said as she dropped her binoculars.  
  
Sure enough, just barely, you could see a bright light high above.  
  
"It's time, you ready Knuckles?" Tails asked as he was hunched over a control panel.  
  
I nodded as I grasped the Master Emerald. "I STILL think this'll never work..."  
  
The air around Shadow began to crackle as Tails' device activated. "Lucky for him he's no longer attuned to the Chaos energies..." he said.  
  
I looked over at him. His role was by far the most dangerous. Plus he could hardly walk, should worse come to worst, he'd have no way to defend himself.  
  
Yet he stood so still, his eyes blank. "Yeah," I said unsurely. "Lucky..."  
  
The light grew in intensity as it hurtled towards us.  
  
He must've been pushing light-speed because I never even saw the approach, just a crystalline hedgehog suddenly suspended over Shadow, at the fringe of the plate's energy field.  
  
Tails, Rouge and I were suddenly taken aback. It had been two years since we had seen the monster that Sonic had become. If Sonic was still even in there. I don't know how to describe it... The shape was vaguely his, but every inch of him was covered, head to toe, in prismatic gems. He seemed to radiate a sense of fear, even if you didn't look at him, your heart seemed to drop right out of your soul.  
  
"KNUCKLES!" Tails' yell snapped me of the trance, but I could barely move my head to look at him under the crushing feeling of dread. "DO IT! I CAN'T HOLD HIM FOR LONG!" he finished, the panic evident in his voice.  
  
I leapt out of our hiding place behind a nearby bush, but something as powerful as this probably wasn't fooled by it in the first place.  
  
I snuck a peek at Shadow. As far as I could tell, he hadn't moved, like he no longer feared death.  
  
"Chaos Sonic", as he had been called, fired energy out of the Emerald shards jutting out of his back as he tried to penetrate Tails' anti-chaos field.  
  
I don't know if was his aura of fear, or my previous uncertainty, but I knew that I would die shortly.  
  
"Fine," I muttered as I held the Master Emerald in front of me. "I owe Sonic at least that much..."  
  
The Master Emerald and I crashed into Sonic's side. The monster let out a terrifying shriek, like nothing I had ever heard on Earth.  
  
But, live or die, I was going to follow my directions to save my friend.  
  
"THE SERVERS ARE THE SEVEN CHAOS!" I cried the prayer as loud as I could over Sonic's piercing howl.  
  
"THE MASTER SEEKS TO CONTROL THE CHAOS!  
  
"I ASK YOU AGAIN, ONE MORE TIME...  
  
"STOP THE CHAOS EMERALDS!  
  
"SAVE MY FRIEND!  
  
"SAVE SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!"  
  
I then drew back my right fist and focused; then brought it down with as much force as I could muster.  
  
--------------------  
  
How do you define being awake?  
  
Is it a feeling that's missing when you dream?  
  
Is it a certain mindset that changes when you sleep?  
  
I existed.  
  
I was sure of that, but little else.  
  
I didn't see, didn't feel, didn't think.  
  
No body, no mind, but something else.  
  
My spirit?  
  
I then felt something, not in the physical sense, but something was there.  
  
It didn't speak, but I heard it.  
  
"Why do you do this?"  
  
What?  
  
"This is something that has lost all sense of itself, it wants nothing more than your death. Yours, and that of your world."  
  
Sonic?  
  
"Why to you try to change it? Why do you risk all that you hold dear, when you should just destroy it?"  
  
Destroy Sonic? I couldn't, never! I want to save him!  
  
"Why?"  
  
Because... Because I respect him. I'm not strong enough to destroy him anyway.  
  
"This is not true. Even now you determine his fate."  
  
What? How?  
  
"Again, why do you risk everything to help that which would destroy you without hesitation?"  
  
Because it's right! Because I owe him my life many times over! Because, because I want to help him for once, instead of the other way around.  
  
"Help him? He is gone. He is changed. He is happy."  
  
No! He is strong, stronger than me! If anyone could survive all the shit he's suffered, it's Sonic! So what if he wants to destroy everything? He's saved this world countless times. The world owes him! Let whatever may happen happen! But I will not let anything, not even my death, even at his hands, stop me! I will do whatever it takes, ANYTHING, but I WILL repay my debt!  
  
"....."  
  
--------------------  
  
The pain is like nothing I've ever experienced.  
  
But pain means I'm awake, right?  
  
"He's moving!"  
  
"Rouge?"  
  
I opened my eyes and sat up. I was still in pain, like every cell of my body was aflame. But I didn't feel weak.  
  
I felt, strong.  
  
"What happened to Sonic?!" I asked with some alarm.  
  
Tails walked into my field of vision, wearing the biggest smile ever. "We did it." He said it softly, like yelling would make it untrue. "He's alive, and back to being regular Sonic."  
  
"He was only barely alive," Rouge added solemnly. "He's been taken to the same hospital as Amy. Even though he'll live, he won't likely wake up soon. He may not even make it."  
  
Tails' quiet optimism was catching. "He will," I said with a grin. "That guy could survive anything!"  
  
"By the way," Tails asked. "Where did you get that?" He pointed at my right hand.  
  
The pain had become a quickly-fading numbness, so I hadn't even realized I was holding something.  
  
There in my hand, shining brighter than I had ever seen, was a red Chaos Emerald.  
  
--------------------  
  
A/N: Told you it would pick up! At least I hope it did... If you don't think so, IT WILL SOON! I'm sorry it took so long to put this up, but my writing's always been kinda random, made up as I go along. But "Need for Speed" got so much (truthfully unexpected) attention, you deserved something better for the sequel. So I took my sweet time to set up a decent plotline. I must admit it's nice knowing where I'm going in advance for once. I used Italics for the voice in the middle section, but its not transferring, so I had to use the less dramatic quote marks.  
  
"JaydenSkyehawk": Thanks a bunch, well you were first, I just hope I can keep up with your high standards. And yeah, that "Comedy being harder than drama" thing was more or less directed at you. Don't worry I'm not abandoning "Knuckles" just giving this higher priority. READ THIS GUY'S FICS! They're HILARIOUS!  
  
"Editor SC": Thanks a bunch for the offer! I'll keep it in mind! The only reason I didn't this time is because I was in a "Write and post it NOW" frenzy. Bsides, I M pUrfeCT, neway! eye dunt nieed eddy-tor! (Gets shot as well for lame "Hucked on Fonix" joke)  
  
"VOID99": Uh, sadly I'm kinda overweight, so my version of "hurry" is a disgustingly slow trudging pace. I was never a fast, or even regular, updater. Another reason why I made the outline, it should speed me up a bit, I hope...  
  
"Kiki the Fox": I'm glad you enjoyed the first one! I recently donated some money to fanfiction, so I now have the "enhanced statistics" option. And though reviews are VERY nice (hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge) I was honestly shocked at how many people read my fic. But it was very rewarding to see so many people took even a modest interest in my work.  
  
"Flabbergasted": (by the way, I LOVE your username) I recently said in a review to you I enjoy your talent with subtlety. That's probably because I don't have any myself. You are absolutely right. I wanted Shadow's vision (for reasons I'll get to later) to emulate "Need for Speed's" final battle, so it wouldn't be just the "Chaos madness" (tentative title, it won't stick) that fought Sonic, but that deep down, though he didn't understand it, Shadow wanted to fight with all his heart. Cryptic I know, but all will be answered in time!  
  
"Crystalstorm21": As I said, I'm sorry that I've never been good at updating on a regular schedule. I plan to be a bit more strict with myself. Hell or high water I'll try to do some writing everyday, as opposed to whenever the mood hit me. (like once a month... 8-P)  
  
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Thanks for all the reading, reviewing, support and encouragement. 


	3. Tails: Of Good and Evil

THE NEED 2 SPEED  
  
Tails: Of Good and Evil  
  
(Edited by Editor SC)  
  
Another Wednesday like any other this past year. "Any change?" I asked a nurse with my hand on the door.  
  
"Not yet Tails," she said with a bittersweet smile. "Maybe today." Like she had said the last 52 Wednesdays.  
  
I pushed the door open. "Hi Amy!" I cheerfully said as I shelved my real emotions.  
  
Also as usual, I was greeted by that blank stare. She was aware, she saw, she heard. She just had hidden in the recesses of her mind. She remained in the same propped-up position she was always in. Somewhere in my mind I knew that she was regularly bathed, clothed and wheeled around on a wheelchair by the nurses.  
  
But it took some effort to remember. All throughout the last year, she looked the same, acted the same, was positioned the same. It was like checking on a lifeless statue every week to see if it had moved.  
  
Don't misunderstand. Amy's like a sister to me. I care deeply about her, I would want nothing more than for her to 'wake up'. But seeing zero progress for two years, from a G.U.N. ICU to a hospital's mental ward...  
  
But she was physically fine. Modern medicine had nothing to fix. It was all up to her.  
  
Though she acknowledged nothing, we had agreed to visit her regularly. But I wondered how long could I keep it up?  
  
It was heartbreaking.  
  
This girl, so full of life, energy, love and hope; reduced to an empty shell.  
  
But, like any other Wednesday, I hid any feelings of sadness and despair.  
  
"The doctors say you've managed to stay strong and fit. That's great. You're nothing if not tenacious." But my words seemed more hollow than the patient.  
  
But this wasn't a regular Wednesday. I had two aces up my sleeve.  
  
"You'll never guess what happened." I said with as much cheer as I could muster. I wore a cheerful face, but I was watching her with great intensity. "He's back, Sonic's back."  
  
If I hadn't been looking so hard, I wouldn't have noticed the tiniest movement as her eye turned ever so slightly to gaze at me as I sat next to her.  
  
"Yeah," I said. "The others and I met him. He's back to normal, and he's alive."  
  
Nothing, but her earlier movement convinced me she could hear me.  
  
"He got hurt, though," I said, wishing to spare her the details. "He's here at this hospital, and I'm going to go see him in a bit." Here goes... "The doctors said you can come and visit him with me. Would you like that?"  
  
She didn't so much as blink.  
  
"That's okay," I said trying to conceal my disappointment. "You can come visit him whenever you're ready." I stood up to leave, her eyes didn't follow me. "I'll see you next week, okay?"  
  
I walked back down the halls of the building, feeling absolutely useless. I could've sworn that would've done it. I really thought today was going to be the day.  
  
I soon reached the room of my other wounded hedgehog friend.  
  
I took a moment to mentally prepare myself. As I said, Amy was physically fit.  
  
But Sonic...  
  
Back when he was first possessed by the Chaos Emeralds, shards of crystal jutted out from his flesh. When Knuckles used the Master Emerald to stop him he blacked out, never seeing the sight of Sonic at his weakest.  
  
He was lucky.  
  
I still remain haunted of that image.  
  
The crystal shell that encased my friend exploded. And Sonic's now powerless form fell limply to the ground. I ran over to him, and felt my stomach clench at the horrific sight.  
  
The gems had been deeply embedded, leaving giant cavities where they had been. He looked so misshapen, so drenched in blood that I could barely tell it was him. A large hole where his left eye should be, his right arm shriveled and there was not an undisturbed four-inch patch of skin on him.  
  
It felt like all we had done was for nothing, he was so still. Add to that the terrible after effects of the Chaos energies that he had been suffering at twice the usual intensity for TWO YEARS...  
  
That had happened three days ago, and every time I closed my eyes I saw it. The hospital's best doctors had been working around the clock. It was a miracle he still hung on to life, if only by the tiniest thread.  
  
I had finally gotten word that we could visit him. Knuckles and Rouge had already been earlier, and who knows about Shadow?  
  
Shadow...  
  
Over the years, he had battled the results of his Chaos over- exposure, and though he could move, he ran like he was underwater, like a semi-solid wall held him back...  
  
Even if he recovered, what would Sonic be like? It was a medical wonder that Shadow could even walk, Sonic would be lucky if he could move at all.  
  
As ready as I could be, I walked in.  
  
It was almost as terrible as it had been 72 hours ago.  
  
There was no blood caked to his fur, but he was covered in more bandages, tubes and wires than I had ever seen. The room was filled with machines, and he looked so small compared to the mechanisms that kept his fragile life in our world.  
  
It was then I noticed. His right arm was missing.  
  
I wasn't surprised, it was little more than skin tightly spread over bones.  
  
"How could this happen?" I whispered aloud as my eyes teared up. "How can Earth's greatest hero have fallen so much? He overcame everything, I, I always thought he was invincible..."  
  
I had put on a brave front when my plan worked, happy to know we had saved the world, and optimistic that, despite his injuries, there was hope for Sonic.  
  
But not now.  
  
Now, and only now did it hit me that he could very well die. Never in all of our adventures did I once think he would fail, that anything could stop his optimistic courage.  
  
But he's not all-powerful. He's as vulnerable, as weak as anyone.  
  
I quickly left the room, unable to stand the horrible truth of my hero any longer.  
  
I flew as fast as I could, trying to run, to escape the image of him so helpless.  
  
I found myself at my workshop. I ran inside and buried my head into my pillow as I screamed and cried.  
  
After a moment, I lifted my head and my gaze settled on the red Chaos Emerald Knuckles said "Just appeared".  
  
And my fear, my sorrow, my pain...  
  
...Turned to a burning anger...  
  
I rushed over and grasped the Emerald so tightly a corner of it drew blood in my palm.  
  
I dashed outside, determined to complete my task before my furious resolve wavered.  
  
I leapt into the air and spun my tails, climbing as high into the sky as I could.  
  
'Eggman...' I thought to myself, fueling my rage. 'Sonic... Shadow... Chaos... Amy... IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! THE CHAOS EMERALDS!'  
  
'For all your power, you bring nothing but pain, suffering and death!'  
  
My muscles began to ache, but I didn't care, I pushed myself ever higher.  
  
'No more, I won't let these gems ruin even one more life!'  
  
I could climb no higher, my tails stopped, despite my willing them on.  
  
As I began to fall, I hurled the gem down towards the distant ground with all my might.  
  
The Emerald plummeted, tumbling at tremendous speed.  
  
Then everything stopped.  
  
I remained suspended in the air, the red crystal many meters below me. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, I could only think.  
  
--------------------  
  
"Why would you so carelessly destroy that which you don't understand?"  
  
Why not? These things, they're pure evil! It's all because of them that so many of my friends, that ALL of us have suffered so much!  
  
"Power is never good or evil, merely those that would use it."  
  
Sonic is NOT evil! He's the bravest, most heroic hedgehog the world's ever seen!  
  
"Good and evil exist in all things, like a constant battle within one's heart, Sonic simply grows weary of fighting the evil within him. Like you now have momentarily given in to your anger."  
  
Just shut up! The world would be much better off without the Emeralds.  
  
"Would it? As a focal point of all the energies of the universe, they hold limitless potential. Potential that could be used for good. You of all people should know this, you've harnessed their power before."  
  
And others always tried to use it for evil as well! The world's lasted this long without them, and it shall continue to do so!  
  
"But you would sacrifice so much power merely to keep it from evil?"  
  
In a heartbeat! I may destroy our greatest weapon, but it's power could never be used against us again!  
  
"But again, the Emeralds are not evil. Even if you destroy them, there will continue to be evil in the universe. And what will happen when the world needs their power to avert some crisis, you would doom all you hold dear."  
  
...But why? Why did Sonic suffer so much from their strength? He could die! This power that is not evil could consume the greatest good I've ever known.  
  
"But destroying The Seven would change nothing. It would not kill him, and would not save him."  
  
...  
  
"Do not be afraid. Do not depend on his strength. You have great skills of your own. He does not make you who you are. You do."  
  
--------------------  
  
The world around me burst to life, and the Emerald and I were falling again.  
  
'Sonic wouldn't do this...' I thought to myself. 'Sonic would seek to understand it all.'  
  
I somehow felt re-energized, and again spun my tails, accelerating my descent.  
  
'I hope I don't end up regretting this...'  
  
I got closer and closer to the red stone, but I knew it wouldn't be enough.  
  
'No,' I told myself. 'Who knows what will happen when it breaks? I HAVE to catch it!'  
  
I stretched my arms forward, the Emerald mockingly close.  
  
'This is bad, even if I catch it, at this speed I couldn't possibly stop before I smash into the ground.' Yet I twirled my tails even faster.  
  
My fingers barely wrapped around it with only seconds until impact.  
  
A sudden idea flashed in my mind. It was the longest of long shots, but what choice did I have?  
  
I pulled the Emerald close, closed my eyes and cried out.  
  
"Chaos control!"  
  
Instead of crashing into the ground, it felt like a giant metal hook jabbed through my gut, and suddenly jerked me upwards.  
  
I opened my eyes, and discovered I was high up once again.  
  
The Chaos control had worn me out, though. I slowed myself down and landed next to my workshop, feeling drained and sore.  
  
I stumbled over my own steps in exhaustion, and started to black out.  
  
I dropped the Emerald in front of me, but before I lost consciousness, I saw something strange.  
  
"I thought I only had one red one... Not a red and a yellow..."  
  
--------------------  
  
A/N: Despite the fact that this was the fastest I've written another chapter, I think this one was the toughest. Sorry Miles fans, but I just have the most trouble identifying with Tails, so if you didn't like this one, the others will be better (hopefully), and this just goes to justify my low update speed.  
  
Flabbergasted: Yeah, sadly my updating this soon isn't regular (Though I will try to update faster and more regularly) so if you hate waiting, I'm going to be unpopular REAL quick. Like you said, I'm just so overly critical of my own work I take several weeks tweaking it to my liking (If I'm EVER satisfied with it...).  
  
Skittles the Sugar Fairy: Hey! I'm glad to see you back! And more so to see that you like this one too!  
  
Crystalstorm21: (Looks nervous) Well, I hope you like this one, though I don't think it's as good as the other two thus far.  
  
Editor SC: Thank you very much for offering to edit my stories. Thank you even more for pointing out the security issue. However, because of the security issue (And other problems on my end) I think I'll be unable to continue your editing services. Thank you very much for your kindness, effort and wisdom, though, I hope you continue to read and enjoy my story.  
  
JaydenSkyehawk: Of course! Take it from me, shameless plugs are the best kind! Anyway, I'll try to continue to please your every whim (wait, that didn't sound right...) or high standards, though like I said, I feel kind of pessimistic about this one (gosh, sorry for being such a killjoy...).  
  
Petsuchos Isis: Shucks, it's great that this story intrigued you so much as to have you go back and read the original. Thanks, that means a lot. Also, I like "angstily tedious" (Kind of like me, at least that's what my mother said, thanks mom -_-). And, yes, all shall be explained (hopefully) in due time.  
  
I can't say enough how much I'm surprised and honored at the praise I've been getting for this humble piece. And just so we're clear, constructive criticism is not just tolerated, it's appreciated! Flames are not, though, so just don't be nasty about it. Thank you very much for all the reviews!  
  
thag-the-upset 


	4. Rouge: The Other Path

THE NEED 2 SPEED  
  
Rouge: The Other Path  
  
"I'm ready Rouge."  
  
"GO!" I shout.  
  
As my thumb presses the starter in my stopwatch, I look up some one hundred meters away.  
  
Shadow leaps forward and runs as fast as he is able.  
  
'He's not going to make it...' I think to myself as I see the frustration and exhaustion on his face.  
  
I'm a bat, so naturally I'm quite comfortable here in the cold, moonless night. And Shadow, I don't think that I've ever seen him sleep...  
  
These facts made midnight each night the obvious choice for training at the local field. Shadow's determined to regain the speed he's lost from his one month as Super Shadow.  
  
He's been making real progress.  
  
"Ten-point-three." I say as he passes me.  
  
He mutters some curse under his breath.  
  
At least I think he's making progress.  
  
"Come on Shadow," I say as I toss him his bottle of water. "It's really not a bad time..."  
  
"For a human..." he replies angrily, already heading back to the starting line. "Reset it."  
  
But a uniformed man steps up to us before we can get ready for another run. "Rouge," the grunt says. "You are to come with me to H.Q. immediately."  
  
I frown. They had finally found me...  
  
Don't get me wrong, I WAS on paid vacation, but I had purposely not stayed at my apartment and not kept my cell with me. I wasn't trying to ignore the problem...  
  
Just stall until I thought of how to deal with it.  
  
--------------------  
  
Half an hour later I am escorted out of the Humvee and lead to the interrogation room.  
  
I knew we were going there before we arrived, I don't think I'll ever forget that room.  
  
It was in that room, two years ago, I watched a noble Hedgehog bear his soul to his mortal enemy.  
  
A guard I knew owed me a favor, and had let me into the observation room behind the one-way mirror.  
  
I watched and listened in horror as Sonic, who seemed fine when I spoke to him a day or two before, break down and confess his weakness to the Chaos emeralds.  
  
It disgusted me to no end that Admiral Smythe told Sonic about Shadow's insanity.  
  
He hadn't even told me, his direct subordinate...  
  
Soon as I heard, I rushed off the base to tell the others, then all hell broke loose.  
  
But today, I knew I'd be on the other side of the glass.  
  
Sure enough, one of my escorts opened the security door to the white room.  
  
Smythe was waiting, flanked by four fully-armed troopers.  
  
I stepped in and took a deep breath, here we go.  
  
"Rouge," he said bitterly, his face blank. "You are one tough woman to get a hold of."  
  
I walked up to him and saluted as the door shut securely behind me. "I dislike having my vacation disturbed." I state flatly.  
  
"Did you know?" He inquires. Jameson was never one for subtlety.  
  
"Know what, sir?" I ask, though I know all to well.  
  
"Don't toy with me Rouge," his anger evident on his face. "Were you aware of your 'friend's' early arrival?"  
  
It's a trick question. He wouldn't have said what it was if he didn't already know.  
  
"A friend of mine told me Sonic was coming, and I went to see if I could help. I wasn't on duty at the time." It was the truth, Tails knew before I did.  
  
His eyes narrowed. "He gave us false information. He gave us a different time."  
  
The old Rouge would have said 'So why are you talking to me? Go yell at him!' But it was different now...  
  
Smythe pounced on my hesitation like a lion on a stumbling wildebeest. "You were there, you knew we would want to be involved..."  
  
"You would want to blow him out of the sky, you mean!" The accusation escaped my lips before I could realize it.  
  
Smythe looked as shocked at my outburst as I was, but he recovered quickly. "If it came to that, yes, in a heartbeat! I am charged with the protection of billions! If one has to die, one that would threaten the world no less, to protect them, I'd do it!" He thrust out a finger at me. "And so should you!"  
  
'Crap,' I thought. 'I know where this is going...'  
  
"How long has it been, Rouge?" His face now one of disappointment instead of anger. "How long?"  
  
I had been expecting this old trip, but had hoped to avoid it. "Fourteen years," I say through clenched teeth. "Sir."  
  
He sighs as if it were a fond memory, the bastard.  
  
"A rogue terrorist group assaults Emerald Bay. Thousands were dead. From when we first saw you among the new orphans, you showed great potential."  
  
I grinned inwardly, the way I remember it I had clocked Smythe, then just a Sergeant, in anger over my parents' deaths. "I offered you the chance to help us make sure no one ever suffered like you had again."  
  
"You drafted me! I was only five!" I spat angrily. This was intimidating enough without him getting all 'fatherly'.  
  
"It was your choice," he replied calmly. "We trained you, fed you and took care of you." He then shifted back to his interrogation mode. "And you pledged loyalty to us! To protect your fellow citizens!" His voice suddenly grew icy. "Yet you risk them, the entire planet. And you gamble it all on some kid you hardly know!"  
  
My anger at his contempt boiled over. "Better some kid than a gun- crazed fanatic!"  
  
He rushed up to me and swept his right open palm towards my cheek.  
  
I swiftly raise my left arm and block the attempted slap.  
  
The room is filled with multiple "clicks" as the soldiers draw and ready their weapons to prevent any insurrection on my part.  
  
I grimace, intentionally showing my fangs. "Try that again and you're on medical leave." I growl softly.  
  
With a scowl the Admiral lowered his arm. "Get your things together, you're shipping out to Alaska in the morning."  
  
Alaska?  
  
"Your 'friends'," he said, complete with quote marks from his fingers. "They have been clouding your judgment, some time away from them should help you regain your level head."  
  
"You can't be serious," I whisper menacingly. "With Shadow weakened, Amy out of it and Sonic barely alive!? They need me!"  
  
"Maybe," Smythe said with what may have been (but most likely wasn't) real concern. "But the world needs you too, needs you more." He turned to leave, confident the conversation was over.  
  
He couldn't be more wrong.  
  
"I'm not going." I state firmly.  
  
"Rouge," the Admiral said without turning to face me. "This is not a request, it's an order. Do you have any idea what I had to answer for about all this?  
  
"Two powerful creatures destroyed half of the city two years ago. I was powerless. The greatest military force on the planet had no options. I had to go and tell the united nations all we could do was have faith in some, vigilante."  
  
He was being so open. Did he, does he, really regret this decision?  
  
"We then find out that one of the creatures would soon return," he continued. "War almost broke out last time. Everyone was certain that everyone else had unleashed these beings upon one another.  
  
"My superiors couldn't let that happen again. We organized countless armies and forces to make one last stand. Can you imagine the humiliation we all suffered when we heard Sonic had already arrived and been peacefully subdued twelve hours earlier than we expected?" He looked over his shoulder to look at me. "Not to mention that one of our top operatives was even there..."  
  
I lowered my head, ashamed at the guilt I couldn't help but suffer. I should've known there'd be worldwide fallout from the battle on this scale. "I'm sorry sir." I say softly.  
  
He nods and continues to leave.  
  
"But I'm still not going." I say again, but this time I'm not giving him the chance to retort. "I'm sorry that everything that happened caused so much chaos, but I trusted my friends. They trust me, and now they need me." I took a shaky breath.  
  
"I quit."  
  
Smythe's surprise is evident despite his not facing me. "It is your right," he says after a quiet moment. "But what will you do? Hate it or not, this is the only life you've known. Useful as they may be, I doubt the skills we've taught you will help in the 'real world'."  
  
A swirl of emotions rose up in me. Anger, that the old fart would sink so low to try and keep me in G.U.N. Sadness, that hate him as I do, he was like a father to me.  
  
And fear, because I know he's right.  
  
"The truth is," he continued. "You've been working off your training and room and board. You don't really have anything of your own. Do you really want to leave G.U.N.?"  
  
My eyes haven't left the floor.  
  
--------------------  
  
"The fact is that you're a coward."  
  
What?  
  
"All you've done your whole life is follow orders. From one mission to the next, you just do what you're told, afraid to act on your own."  
  
That's not true! I've faced death countless times, put myself in danger for the greater good. All without batting an eye.  
  
"It is no feat to brave death when you have no life to risk in the first place."  
  
Wha, what about now? Now I AM standing up for myself, taking charge of my own life.  
  
"Even now, you are afraid of it, of the world you really know nothing about. Besides, what you are doing, you are simply doing out of fear of losing your friends, the first people to care about you."  
  
No, I'm not! I mean what I said my friends need me. Sure, I guess I need them too, but I will not leave them when they need me the most!  
  
"..."  
  
That isn't fear. That's love and concern.  
  
"Then why are you afraid about love? Why do you fear about how 'he' will react when he hears about how you feel?"  
  
...  
  
"Face it, you are afraid."  
  
Maybe I am. But being brave isn't not being afraid. Bravery is doing what you must, despite your fear. And I plan to do just that! Just watch!  
  
--------------------  
  
"Rouge?"  
  
I come to, and realize I must've been quiet for some time. "I'm sorry, Jameson," my eyes remain glued to the floor as I produce my key / ID card. "I cannot leave my friends."  
  
The room is still for a minute, and then Smythe takes the card from my hand.  
  
--------------------  
  
I land from my flight through the cold air, the morning sun is just starting to peek over the horizion.  
  
"What're you doing here?" he asks behind me.  
  
"Well to be honest Knuckles, I need a place to crash for a while." I reply coolly.  
  
"Really," he says cockily. "What, exactly to I get for putting up with you?"  
  
"I don't know," I say as I juggle my new purple Chaos Emerald in my hand. "We'll think of something."  
  
--------------------  
  
A/N: I would like to dedicate this chapter to my good friend Marcus and beg his forgiveness since he HATES Rouge x Knuckles pairings.  
  
Hoo boy, getting a little preachy here. Sorry I'll try to avoid adding stupid morals to my stories. Also, I'm sorry I fell back into my old patterns of slower-than-Eggman updates. And, like most artists, I feel this last work isn't up to par, sorry about that too.  
  
Ya know what, sorry about EVERYTHING! Sheesh!  
  
Crystalstorm21: Thanks, I appreciate how you've always been a bit tough with the reviews, letting me know when I start slackin' off. Keep it up, I'm lazy as heck and need people like you to keep me sharp.  
  
JaydenSkyehawk: Sharp as a BOWLING BALL!! HA! You see that! What a great tie-in huh? HUH? Meh... Anyways, gosh man you really flatter me too much... (but don't stop! LOL) Also, don't worry, you couldn't make a bad SAABB2 chapter if you tried, you got serious talent, chances are this is just a fluke.  
  
Flabbergasted: Sonic? The Chaos Emeralds' sentience? Something else? What could it be?! DANCE, DANCE MY BEFUDDLED MINIONS!! ...Sorry, your temporary insanity is catching. By the way, I read your other stuff on fictionpress (which for some reason my computer doesn't like very much...) GREAT stuff, I knew "Triforce" was too good to be your first work! Uhm, not that the others sucked... I mean... Uhh.... GOOD WORK! (Runs off before making an even bigger idiot of himself)  
  
celestial cimmerian catalyst: "You know what happens next? You should tell thag!" - Actual quote from my mom. (-_- thanks ma...) Anywho, thanks for your kind words, but yeah, I am afraid that here it is getting a bit predictable. PLEASE don't let that stop you though! I DO have a plan laid out, and there are still some plot twists to come that (I hope) no one is expecting...  
  
Kiyo Youko: Wow! Thanks, I'm glad you liked the story so far. I'm just sorry you all have to wait so long for the sequel and updates. Lastly, I know this is going to sound so stupid but, what exactly does "w00t!" mean? I've seen it everywhere, but I really don't know... (Everyone reading this fic suddenly leaves) OH, EXCUSE ME FOR NOT USING AIM OR ICQ!  
  
Thanks still for every one who wasted a small portion of their day to read this! I hope that, despite the fact that most of you can probably see where this story is going, I can keep working to satisfy your interest. (BOY was that awfully phrased...) Thank you all very much!  
  
thag-the-upset 


	5. Chaos: Dreams of Madness

THE NEED 2 SPEED  
  
Chaos: Dreams of Madness  
  
====================  
  
It has come to my attention that, in 4 chapters thus far, I have yet to write a...  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own NOTHING in this story, save the concept and Admiral Smythe, who you can probably use if you just ask and make him the typical hard-ass, army-type jerk.  
  
Also, from this chapter on, this story is going to get darker, MUCH darker. Now you will see why I gave this a "PG-13", after this, I may even have to push it to "R".  
  
You have been warned / disclaimed...  
  
====================  
  
It's been five days since I last slept.  
  
Yet I still heard the whispers.  
  
Just a few weeks ago, I started to have disturbing dreams.  
  
Well, the dreams themselves were normal. When you've done so much evil in your life, you repent every night with horrific nightmares.  
  
But something was different.  
  
It wasn't that they were more real, more frightening or more common.  
  
I began to enjoy them.  
  
Dark, twisted voices whispered to me from the ether. Urging me on as I relived my previous violent rampages.  
  
I found myself laughing gleefully as I slaughtered our honorable people and again as I terrorized the world after Eggman freed me.  
  
But it was that night five days ago that did it.  
  
I had destroyed our culture, and like she had centuries ago, Tikal began the Binding Ritual, preparing to entrap me inside the Master Emerald.  
  
The difference this time is that I knew what she was doing.  
  
But I was enjoying it, the freedom, the power.  
  
So I summoned a sphere of water to contain her and silence her chanting. I laughed at her feeble attempts to free herself as I felt the liquid fill her lungs.  
  
Slowly, her thrashing grew less and less fierce, until she finally stopped.  
  
And I laughed.  
  
I haven't slept since.  
  
It was just a dream, right? It didn't mean anything in the real world.  
  
I told myself this over and over, but deep down I knew.  
  
I knew it was a lie.  
  
Not a day had gone by that I regretted, well, everything.  
  
But the part that caused me the most pain was Tikal.  
  
She was 16 when she sealed me within our prison, her whole life lay ahead of her. Smart, strong, compassionate... She could have done anything. Lived any way she wished.  
  
Instead she gave it all up to stay with me, the one who killed her friends, family and way of life.  
  
Why? Love? The one she loved was gone, buried in the depths of my tainted soul.  
  
And with these dreams, I now worry for her safety...  
  
So I've gone without sleep since then, hoping that as long as I'm awake, I can maintain what little sanity I have left.  
  
Not that I care about myself, I deserve to suffer for all time.  
  
But not her, not Tikal.  
  
But things have just gotten worse.  
  
As she slept creatures and demons wandered the island. Monstrosities the likes of which never exist in the minds of normal people. I would lash out and cry to Tikal as they would draw closer to her.  
  
But they vanished, they always did, and I'd lie to her about how I just had a bad dream, and pray she didn't hear my quiet sobs.  
  
They say that you're not crazy if you think you're crazy. That it isn't until you fail to realize that you're freaking out that you've reached pure madness.  
  
Small consolation, especially after tonight, when it got too far.  
  
It was just another night. Tikal gazed at the Emerald's visions one last time before bed, as she did every night.  
  
And it happened again.  
  
Shadows, demons, whatever you call them, they crawled out from nowhere and approached her.  
  
I turned away, I had humiliated myself too many times already chasing shadows. "Its not real..." I muttered to myself. "Its not real, its not real, its not real..."  
  
Despite my self-restraint I looked.  
  
A creature had snuck up on her, its arm locked tightly around her throat.  
  
"Chaos..."  
  
The voices again, I heard them constantly, dancing about in my head. But never as clearly as that moment.  
  
"Why do you abandon her Chaos?"  
  
"Shut up..." I whimpered.  
  
"Look at her, LOOK! See how she struggles uselessly!"  
  
"You're not real..." I said as I curled into a fetal position.  
  
"You could save her, you could protect her."  
  
"This isn't real..." I gripped my head, hoping to somehow still the voices.  
  
"Yet you would leave her to us? To her death?"  
  
"Tikal..." I cried softly.  
  
Then I heard it, not in my mind like everything else, but as an actual sound.  
  
"CHAOS!"  
  
She screamed out to me.  
  
I quickly looked up to see her.  
  
I still wish I hadn't.  
  
Just as before, a demon held her tight.  
  
But now several spikes had burst forth from it's chest, and run her through.  
  
She weakly coughed, and a spatter of blood landed on the ground before her.  
  
I snapped.  
  
Everything stopped.  
  
Nothing mattered.  
  
My mind went numb  
  
And one thought burned brightly in my dark soul, just like it had all those years ago.  
  
HATE.  
  
REVENGE.  
  
DEATH.  
  
I closed the distance between us almost instantly, and let fly with all my rage, torment and sorrow in a mighty straight punch.  
  
The black body flew some ten meters away, spinning and flailing through the air before crashing in a satisfying crunch.  
  
"DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH HER!" I screamed to whatever may hear me.  
  
My only response was a soft evil chuckle as the demon dissolved as they always did.  
  
To reveal an orange echidna, her face bloodied.  
  
"TIKAL!" I cried. "Oh God no..."  
  
I ran as fast as I could, yet it seemed to take me several minutes to reach her.  
  
Her being attacked, as well as the sight that greeted me when I reached her would flash before my eyes every time I closed them from then on.  
  
Her entire right side of her face was covered in blood, and was sunken into her head somewhat. Her eye was swollen shut, her nose now misshapen and crooked, and her mouth too bloody to see anything.  
  
I quickly looked away in disgust of the horrific image I had created, but everywhere I looked it was all I could see.  
  
I used every healing power my aquatic abilities could afford, and though she soon looked as good as before...  
  
I would not be so simple a fix.  
  
I got up to leave.  
  
"Chaos..."  
  
She had recovered quickly, and though I was infinitely relieved that she would live, I did not turn to look at her.  
  
"Stay away from me." I said much colder than I had meant. "I'm not safe."  
  
"Chaos..." I heard her shuffle as she stood, and a scuffle as she staggered from the still-lingering pain. "What... what happened?"  
  
"... I'm losing it Tikal..." I said softly. "I'm seeing things, losing touch with reality...  
  
"I attacked you."  
  
"What?" she said weakly as she began to limp towards me.  
  
"I SAID STAY AWAY!" I commanded forcefully, and her steps stopped. "I attacked you." I repeated. "I can't keep track anymore. I cannot tell reality from imagination. I've finally gone crazy...  
  
"I haven't told you, but I have been feeling the hunger again. The calling of the Seven, the desire to be complete, to be whole." For all my power, I felt like a weak, terrified little cub.  
  
"Chaos, why didn't you say anything?" she asked, obviously more concerned for my spirit than she should have been for her life, the idiot.  
  
I laughed bitterly. "You know as well as I that there would be nothing to do about it anyway. For all those years, from when you bound us here to when Robotnik freed me, I remained possessed. Driven by an insatiable hunger for the Chaos Emeralds, this me did not even exist, overpowered by my darkest ambitions." I sighed raggedly, "And it's happening again. I'm losing touch of myself, drowning in my own dark side."  
  
I was surprised to feel a pair of arms wrap around my chest, and her head rest against my back. She had realized I was hearing her movements and had glided over to me. "Then I'm not going to let you go." she said quietly. "I'm going to hold onto you, to your soul, and not let go. Let your suffering be mine and take us where it will."  
  
"Tikal..." I said shakily. "I nearly killed you. It's a miracle that you survived, and I would never forgive myself; I WILL never forgive myself for this. And I won't let it happen again."  
  
"Chaos you idiot!" she cried. "I don't care about that! I could have left you here! I could have sealed the Emerald and left..." She was crying almost uncontrollably now, and for all that happened I wasn't too far off either. "I WANT to be with you. I WANT to share your pain... I love you..."  
  
--------------------  
  
"YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A COWARD!"  
  
Shut up! I have no patience for this. Not after all you've done...  
  
"ALL YOU HAVE DONE..."  
  
I NEVER wanted this! I would NEVER mean to hurt her!  
  
"AND YET YOU HAVE..."  
  
Not again, not EVER again...  
  
"SO WHAT? YOU SUCCUMB TO YOUR FEAR? YOU KILL YOURSELF?"  
  
For her, if I have to, I will.  
  
"YOU RUN FROM WHAT YOU SHOULD STAND AND FACE!"  
  
I can't...  
  
"THAT IS WHAT MAKES YOU A COWARD!"  
  
I... I love her...  
  
"SMALL WORDS FROM A SMALL, FRIGHTENED CHILD!"  
  
What do I do then!? You know so damn much! What can I do?  
  
"..."  
  
I'm nothing but a threat to her! I cannot protect her from myself! What the hell do I do?!  
  
"..."  
  
What do I do...?  
  
--------------------  
  
I turned to face her, her face buried in my chest.  
  
'I love her, and I never want to leave her...'  
  
'... So I won't'  
  
Four pillars of water rose around us, slowly bending and expanding to enclose us in a sphere.  
  
"Tikal..." I said softly. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too Chaos."  
  
"If it is what you truly want, I'll stay with you."  
  
"I do Chaos, it is all I want."  
  
At my bidding, the globe of water began to shrink and spin.  
  
"Whatever your heart desires..." I said gently, feeling for the first time in a long, long time...  
  
Happiness, peace at what I must do.  
  
As the walls drew in, I felt my body being washed away, dissolving into the water.  
  
She looked up at me with surprise and fear.  
  
"Don't be afraid Tikal," I said as I felt myself slipping away.  
  
"I will never leave you."  
  
--------------------  
  
As knuckles gazed at the Master Emerald, he wondered what was this strange disturbance in the energy and light it shone forth.  
  
A pool of water began to grow and surround it, shifting for a moment before to began to lift up and take shape.  
  
He tensed up, but it wasn't Chaos' form that the pool created.  
  
"Tikal?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
She held up a Chaos Emerald, shining greener than the Master itself.  
  
"Hello Knuckles," she said. "There is much to train you about the Master Emerald..."  
  
====================  
  
A/N: HAH! I am still alive! I sincerely apologize for this chapter being unusually violent and disturbing (would you believe I actually toned it down a bit?), but I really thought it was necessary. For all the action and drama thus far, I had not shown the Emeralds dark side strongly enough. If this was really too much, just tell me in a review, and I shall bump the rating to "R" (unless it already is, in which case someone beat you to it).  
  
On a much lighter note, if you've read my bio lately, then you already know but, I'M GONNA BE ON "WHEEL OF FORTUNE"!  
  
No joke, they taped three weeks of shows here in San Francisco, and my Mom and I applied for "Mom and Me Week" and we got on the show!  
  
So on May Fifth, 05/05/04, Cinco de Mayo, the fifth day of the fifth month...  
  
Readers: WE GET IT ALREADY!  
  
Sorry, look for Arthur Ellis (Me, my real name. I've got nothing to hide.) and Deborah Ellis (my Mother, and yes I realize appearing on T.V. with my Mother makes me a true "mama's boy") as the blue team on "Wheel of Fortune", and shout to all your friends "I KNOW THAT GUY!... sorta...."  
  
Crystalstorm21: You always seem to review as soon as I post a chapter with a good word of encouragement, thank you for your constant support!  
  
VOID99: Yes! For shame! Nah, it's really no big deal... I always find writing very therapeutic for me, as I can channel my own inner demons into my stories, so yeah they tend to be kinda dark... As for tragic, you haven't seen anything yet! (Knowing smile)  
  
Flabbergasted: Sheesh, couldn't you pick an easier-to-type name? Anywho, don't worry about your own update speed. Why do you think I take so long, lots of stuff has been going on in real life. Also, I've read your stuff, I wouls be the LAST person to call you stupid, believe me... I just meant it seems obvious that everyone is going to have one of these "Emerald vision type things..." but other than that, I 've got plot twists up the wazoo for this puppy! 10.3 seconds... I don't even remember how I came up with that, I did a little research ("Hey mom, is 10.3 seconds fast for a human?") but on the whole it's just a number I picked ...-_-  
  
Dragon Master Naya: Yeah, I wanted very much for the Chaos Emeralds, despite all their horrible side-effects, to be fueled by courage. Just look at the games, at the darkest hour, when all hope is lost, Sonic's (and Shadow that one time) defiance and courage are what fuel them to go super (at least I think so).  
  
JadenSkyehawk: Well, odd as it may seem, I actually use my experience as an actor (a bad one...-_-) in my writing. I insert myself as whatever the main character is and it helps me feel out how they'd react, what it'd be like for them. However this means I'm only good at first- person stories... Lastly, thanks for including Thag in your extravaganza, sorry I couldn't think of something funny for him to say, because I also loved the part where Yusuke shot Keiko in the head!  
  
And just be sure to remember "The Ivory Coast!" Oh you'll see...  
  
Thanks for reading.  
  
thag-the-upset 


	6. Shadow: One's Purpose

THE NEED 2 SPEED

Shadow: One's Purpose

* * *

I ran and ran.  
  
Every day, every night, every waking moment.  
  
Yet I'm not showing improvement.  
  
I'm getting worse.  
  
Ten point three, ten point nine, eleven point four.  
  
Last night I could barely manage twelve seconds flat.  
  
Never had one hundred meters mocked my efforts so.  
  
My limbs had grown painful and heavy, I found myself breathing more heavily, and I was always feeling exhausted.  
  
Was this it? Was I truly weak? Feeble? Slow? Was it really just my affinity for the Chaos Emeralds that had allowed me to be so fast? Was I nothing without their power?  
  
"Maria..." I whispered to the night sky.  
  
I walked through the streets of the City. A city I had helped save, a city I had tried to destroy, a city I now called home.  
  
A city where I didn't belong.  
  
Every day my mind would turn to that utopia I had lost so long ago.  
  
And how, for a time, I had gotten it back.  
  
But I awoke from that blissful dream, slower and weaker than I had ever been.  
  
Not only that, but I was now shunned wherever I went because of what I did while I dreamed.  
  
I continued to trudge onward, not knowing or caring where my feet took me.  
  
I didn't mind being alone. Even on the A.R.K., I frequently enjoyed moments of solitude.  
  
But I always had my speed. I knew that whatever may come, I possessed the power to face it head-on.  
  
But no more.  
  
I had deluded myself. I had believed that if I trained and prayed, my speed would return.  
  
But it didn't, it won't, it can't.  
  
'So what?' you think. 'Speed doesn't make you who you are.'  
  
That just proves how little you know me.  
  
Speed was power. It was pleasure.  
  
It was freedom.  
  
And it was all gone now.  
  
"I would give anything," I muttered under my breath. "To be that fast again. Anything..."  
  
I looked up at the now cloudy sky. A large skyscraper loomed to my right and caught my attention.  
  
"I will..." I said as I walked into the building. "I will be fast, one last time..."  
  
The open lobby was empty, my footsteps on the marble floors echoed throughout the room.  
  
The world seemed so cold, so lifeless here. Just like it was on the A.R.K.  
  
I walked instinctively towards the stairs, but my weary limbs protested to the upward effort. I scoffed at my own weakness and reluctantly turned towards the elevator.  
  
I stood on the plush red carpet and waited as the numbers on the display began to climb.  
  
And I continued to wait.  
  
"This is pathetic..." I muttered, fondly remembering the times when I could have done several laps of the stairs in the time this took.  
  
One more... Just one more time. I will feel that rush of the wind.  
  
It was as if the elevator knew my intentions, and gave me time to reconsider.  
  
But instead of doubt, I was filled with certainty. Closure. I missed her. I missed Maria so much. I want to see her again.  
  
And in mere moments, I will.  
  
I stepped out of the elevator and opened the door ahead of me. It had started raining since I had entered the building.  
  
How fitting...  
  
I never told anyone, heck I rarely spoke to anyone at all, but...  
  
I love the rain. Maria told me about it on the A.R.K., but once I saw it on Earth myself I understood why she loved it so.  
  
A symbol of rebirth. The way it danced down whatever surface it struck, washing away whatever filth it encountered. Washing out the old, and giving life to the new.  
  
Out with the old... That's why I was up here on the roof in the first place.  
  
Few buildings here reached higher than this, and they were mere shadows in the distance.  
  
I approached the edge and looked upwards. I couldn't help but chuckle at how this was the closest I had been to A.R.K. since the Final Hazard.  
  
I scowled at the clouds. If it were clear maybe, just maybe I could have seen it. It would still be nothing more than a slow-moving light, but I'd recognize it somehow.  
  
And without looking down, I leapt.  
  
The building flew upwards, filling a fraction of my vision, as the drops of rain around me began to slow and hover nearby.  
  
"Yes... Faster, FASTER!" I jubilantly cried out.  
  
Then, finally, after two long years it happened...  
  
Its funny. When you stand still all the world is in focus. As you begin to move and speed up, things start to blur. More and more your surroundings become little more than colored lines that fly by.  
  
But then, once you hit a certain speed it changes. Your vision, your spirit, your life shift into a higher gear, and everything becomes clear and slows down.  
  
I couldn't help but smile as I saw with a clarity I had thought gone forever. I must've hit terminal velocity, yet I could look into every window I passed and see the room within as if I were moving no faster than a feather.  
  
It was true liberation. I didn't care about the sidewalk that soared up towards me. Death was nothing, it was how you lived that mattered. And for the first time in a very long time...  
  
I was happy...  
  
For a painfully brief moment, I was truly happy.  
  
A perfect high note to end a perfect miserable existence.  
  
But it seems fate wasn't done with me yet...  
  
I was suddenly jerked to a stop, slow enough to keep me alive, but quick enough to give me the mother of all whiplash.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" A voice bellowed at me.  
  
I squinted and shook my head to clear my sight.  
  
It was the echidna, Hands, or whatever...  
  
"Why in the world would you do that?!" He demanded.  
  
I scowled, "Do you know how long it took the elevator to get up there?"  
  
My response triggered a punch that sent me flying to the ground, which had only been about ten feet away.  
  
He caught me on the second floor.  
  
So close...  
  
He leapt down from the wall and glared at me.  
  
"Guess I had you wrong," he said with a growl. "I thought you were strong, but here you are, trying to take the weakling's, the coward's way out."  
  
"I'm not strong," I said bitterly. "That's why I was doing it, you moron."  
  
"Please," he replied. "I'm the last of my people, so spare me the whole 'I have lost everything that mattered' routine."  
  
"So what?" I spat back. "I'm just supposed to pull myself up by the bootstraps and live an empty, meaningless life?"  
  
"Look, I don't give a damn about you myself..." he began.  
  
"Then why did you interfere?!" I interrupted.  
  
He clenched his fists and kicked my in the ribs with such force that I left the ground for a moment. I rolled a few feet and instinctively huddled over grasping my belly. It was infuriating how helpless I was.  
  
I heard him walk over and he pulled me to my feet.  
  
"I did it," he said solemnly. "Because for some reason I can't understand, Sonic was willing to risk his life for you. And I will NOT let all that he has suffered be in vain!"  
  
I growled at the thought of him. "Even in his actions he's better than me..."  
  
"Is that what this b.s. is about? Do you know where he is right now? He's in the hospital, with one arm, in a coma, too weak right now to even breathe on his own!! I don't care how slow you are! You can walk and you're awake! You are the best in the end, okay?! Now let it go!"  
  
I must've been the only one who hadn't gone to see him, I never knew how bad it was.  
  
The echidna was right, I was the best in the end. So why was I filled with sadness instead of joy?  
  
"Why?" I muttered angrily as my eyes began to tear up despite my best efforts. "Why did he do it? I never asked for his help! Why would he risk so much for me?!"  
  
For the first time my assailant grinned. "That's just the kind of guy he is. Simple as that."  
  
"Okay then," I said quietly. "If you know so much, what do I do now?"  
  
"The only smart thing a weak person can do," he answered.  
  
"Train to get stronger."  
  
--------------------  
  
Yeah, as if it were that easy. I have been trying.  
  
_"It truly is. Desired results are hard, the trying is easy."  
  
_ Not for me. The pain is one thing, but... It's like my body doesn't want to be fast again.  
  
_"Because you are afraid? You fear losing control in all the power you used to command?"  
_  
I'm not afraid! I'm never afraid! Even then, when Sonic returned, and charged at me with murderous insanity in his eyes, I wasn't afraid.  
  
_"Because you never feared death. You only fear life."_  
  
What nonsense are you talking about?  
  
_ "You've lost everything you ever cared for, you suffered more loss than anyone should ever suffer. And you are afraid of you life without them."  
_  
...  
  
_"Death would bring you together, even though you know that's not what Maria would want. But you want it nonetheless. You are afraid that you could live without her, that you might find some greater purpose in life than her."  
_  
But... But I miss her. She was, she IS everything to me. How am I to go on with no purpose?  
  
_"You have to find another one. Until you do, that is your purpose."  
_  
But... It's just that...  
  
--------------------  
  
"I'm afraid." I whispered.  
  
The red echidna looked surprised for a moment before he answered. "Well sure. Life is full of fear. That's why we need to hang together and pull strength from each other."  
  
I looked at him wearily. "I take it I'm an idiot for not realizing this..."  
  
"Nah," he replied as he looked ahead. I realized that he had led me to my usual late-night haunt, the racetrack.  
  
"There you are!" Rouge called from her usual place, despite the continuing rain. "What have you been doing?"  
  
Knuckles grinned at me and whispered, "I just figured it out recently myself."  
  
I walked up to my usual spot. "Hope your stopwatch is ready tonight, Rouge." I unclenched my hand and a white emerald dropped to the ground. "Because tonight I break ten."

* * *

A/N: Ehh, sorry if the end seemed kinda rushed. Anyway, I liked this chapter (well the first three quarters at least) Oh, and don't tell me I have issues writing about suicide, THANK YOU OBVIOUSMAN! ( I do not own Non Sequiter, kudos if you even know what I'm talking about) Seriously though, I really use my writing to help work though some serious issues of my own... SERIOUS ISSUES! So I apologize for the language and issues that I raised in the last chapter, this one, next upcoming few...  
  
Tails the Chosen One: Aw shucks! Thanks a bunch, its always great to get another reader! Not that I don't appreciate the regulars! But you're nice too! DON'T JUDGE ME! (runs off)  
  
Editor SC: Thanks, I'm glad you're still reading. I personally wouldn't worry about updating too quick, I think you should do it when you want. (sounds of lots of fans booing) No, corny as it sounds, creativity really can't be rushed. Take your time and do it right. (man, how hypocritical of me...)  
  
JaydenSkehawk: Yes, I have used the forbidden art of the cliffhanger, I am forever shamed. I have to say, I hate them as a reader, but I love them as a writer. I really do appreciate your continuing support, you've been a huge support. Now that I've done the usual butt- kissing, WHERE'S SAABB 2?!? I NEED my humor fix man! You know I'm good for it...  
  
DemonJon15: Thank you but I must warn you, I don't do "soon". This chapter was a little faster than usual, but I hope you'll read it (slowly) nonetheless!  
  
Flabbergasted: Well like I said, I got lots of dark to work out, so I'll keep it coming. Seriously though I'm counting on readers like YOU (insert cheesy poster of me pointing at you here) to let me know if (when) I cross the line. I don't want to give anything away, but I do think I will have to bump the rating. If you think I do, just let me know.  
  
Crystalstorm21: Good, I really worry about that. I'm a real non- confrontational kinda guy, so I REALLY don't want to offend anyone.  
  
VOID99: Yeah, I really like Chaos too. I don't think there's enough of him on ff.net. You've got a point though, I wasn't too clear on what happened, don't worry, all will be explained... maybe.  
  
Kirby-Chan263: Sonic... Sonic... Oh yeah, him! I do have a plan, but I'm afraid his next chapter is the one after next, so you'll have to wait and see. MWAHAHAHA!!!!  
  
Well, thanks again everyone. And I have to say, I might... MIGHT... be a... while... for the... next... chapter...  
  
Readers: GET HIM!  
  
OO Uh, I'll try to hurry! Thanks again! (Flees angry mob)  
  
thag-the-upset 


	7. Amy: Accepting the Past

THE NEED 2 SPEED  
  
Amy: Accepting the Past

* * *

"Amy, quit kidding around."  
  
"Amy, leave me alone."  
  
"Amy, stop it."  
  
"Amy, I don't love you."  
  
Endlessly, the voice has been taunting me.  
  
His voice...  
  
It is but a small part of my suffering. The world moves in a blur around me. Only the static walls of the hospital room remain clearly visible to me. The sounds of the world around me are dulled to an indistinguishable white noise. With incredible focus, I can barely make out the passing of day and night.  
  
I can't move, but I feel... All sense of time is lost. Has it been days? Weeks? Years?  
  
Who knows...  
  
Who cares...  
  
This is all I know now. All I can remember.  
  
Except for that one horrible month, when my happy life went straight to hell...  
  
--------------------  
  
So much had changed in a world that stayed the same...  
  
Shadow had fallen from space, the Finalhazard was stopped from destroying the Earth, and we had made a new friend in Rouge.  
  
But far below us, on that blue sphere, the lives of those people we saved went on unchanged.  
  
But, one way or another, all our lives changed that day.  
  
Sonic's outburst from after the battle was understandable. Shadow had been something he had never encountered before, someone who was very much like him. Brave, unyielding and fast.  
  
Almost a long-lost brother, like the two of them somehow already understood one another on a level unattainable by merely talking to one another.  
  
But something was amiss...  
  
I've known Sonic for a long time, and watched him for the majority of it. Through good times and bad, I always watched with facination, and as such I could always tell how he felt...  
  
It was his eyes...  
  
The eyes are the window to the soul... It was always so true with him...  
  
And then, in his rage, they weren't filled with regret. With anger or with sadness...  
  
But jealousy...  
  
He stormed off into the nearest escape pod and jettisoned it before we had decided on a landing area.  
  
The rest of us returned together in silence. Some out of respect for Shadow, some out of sympathy for Sonic, and some in deep thought.  
  
Upon our landing, Eggman surprised us all by turning himself into the authorities of his own free will. He said that on the A.R.K., he saw how his grandfather's similar quest for knowledge and power lead only to despair, loss, and madness. Within a few short days, G.U.N. quickly and quietly came and transferred him to their own facilities, offering a lessened sentence for his technological aid. Seeing it as a chance to redeem himself, he accepted.  
  
Rouge was in worse shape than any of us. Apparently, Shadow had saved her life, and as such she had gained a sense of camaraderie between them. So with his "death" she felt that not only had she lost a friend and partner, but that she had somehow let him down. Like she was unable to return the favor, that it was her fault... I'm sure that Sonic's outburst didn't help, much as I tried to comfort her that it meant nothing... I often looked at her and wondered, would I be like that? Had Sonic fallen, and Shadow returned, is that what I would have been like?  
  
Ah, but she had Knuckles. Her sly attitude always picked up around him. The two of them made me sick... Love is the most wonderful thing in the world, and anyone who shies away from it is a coward and a fool. It was plainly obvious that the two of them liked one another, but their own foolish sense of pride kept them from ever admitting it. I never passed any opportunity to make it known that I loved Sonic with all my being. That these two could feel the same, and not act on it sickened me. Holding back one's love only brings pain, uncertainty and sorrow. But somehow, those two will work it through their thick heads... Someday...  
  
Tails was a mystery to me. He was the only person who knew Sonic better than me, and yet he seemed the most unconcerned that none of us had seen Sonic since that day on the A.R.K. Instead he seem to shut himself in away from the rest of the world, locked in his lab, constantly studying the only remaining copy of the A.R.K.'s data. Searching...  
  
Though come to think of it, after stopping Perfect Chaos last year, he had vanished for a week then too. But then I had thought he had just gone after Eggman's Egg Carrier 2... But there was no enemy left to pursue now... And besides, it just wasn't his way... Sonic always prided himself on his cocky, aloof attitude... But I know it is just an act. In times of loss, for every life he failed to saved, every forest Robotnik destroyed, it always got to him... His eyes were always full of sadness and regret, like every life he couldn't save was one that he had taken himself. As an act to fool us, and maybe himself a little, he always acted indifferent and arrogant as usual...  
  
But he was always around. Deep down he didn't want to be alone in those dark times. Did the loss of life make him cherish our friendships more? Did he just want to be close to protect us? I don't know, but he was never alone, not during times like this.  
  
So I set out to find him...  
  
You don't chase after the fastest thing alive for years without getting pretty quick yourself. Even though I have no idea what he is feeling or what is happening to him, much less what I could say or do to help; I just know I need to find him. That he needs a friend now...  
  
So every day was the same. A quick breakfast and lunch packing, then I dash off in a random direction, not returning until it is dark again.  
  
But after a week, I came home to a surprise. A small contingent of G.U.N. troops are waiting in a humvee outside my apartment. They looked up and approach me. I quietly drew my piko piko hammer.  
  
"Amy Rose?" The apparent leader asks, but does not wait for a reply, they already know who I am. "We would like to request that you to come with us."  
  
"Do you request?" I ask warily, a little sore from running all day, and hoping to avoid a fight. "Or do you demand?"  
  
"Request." He says stiffly. "We've been ordered to offer you escort to HQ. It is about Sonic."  
  
It had only been a week since I had seen him, but with no news from anyone, I was desperate for any news.  
  
So I went with them...  
  
After countless checkpoints, hallways and security doors, I was led into a dark room, lit only with the pale light from the hall, and a simple projector in the center of the room. As such the only visible features were a white screen for the projector, and a chair to one side.  
  
The door closed behind me. "MISS AMY ROSE," a scrambled voice said from the darkness behind the projector, it's light blinding any attempts to see the source. "BEFORE WE BEGIN, I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND YOU ARE IN NO WAY A PRISIONER HERE. IF AT ANY TIME YOU WISH TO LEAVE, YOU MUST ONLY SAY SO AND YOU WILL BE RELEASED."  
  
I was a bit startled by the voice. I was fairly certain that no one had followed me into the room, so whoever was using the voice-masker had been waiting for me in the dark. And though I couldn't see, I heard the sounds of only one other person, so I was fairly confident my host and I were alone. So I decided to at least hear what this mystery-person had to say.  
  
"Okay," I said. "Now what about Sonic, what's going on?"  
  
Instead of a response, the projector began to whirr, and the light filled with color, so I turned to face the screen.  
  
There he was. In some sort of forest.  
  
"Sonic..." I gasped.  
  
He crouched down into a runner's starting position and held it for a moment, before running.  
  
But instead of a blue blur flashing off into the distance, he moved at a much slower, stumbling pace. He must've gone about one hundred meters in about thirteen seconds.  
  
There was no way he could be that slow...  
  
"WHAT YOU ARE WATCHING HAS NOT BEEN SLOWED DOWN IN ANY WAY," the scrambled voice said as if it could read my thoughts. "THIS FOOTAGE WAS RECORDED BY A SPY DRONE EARLIER TODAY. FOR ONE REASON OR ANTOHER, IT SEEMS LIKE SONIC HAS LOST HIS INCREDIBLE SPEED."  
  
It couldn't be true... Sonic without his speed?  
  
He would sooner die...  
  
Don't misunderstand. Sonic has many amazing qualities, and I would love him no less if he were without his trademark speed.  
  
But that is not how he views himself...  
  
Speed is everything to him: power, control, peace, joy, life... To say he sees it as all of what he is would be an understatement... To lose his speed would be to lose all sense of himself...  
  
"Why..." I said in growing anger. "What did you do to him?!"  
  
"I ASSURE YOU," the scrambler squawked. "WE HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT OBSERVE. IN FACT WE WISH TO HELP HIM. BUT TO DO SO..."  
  
"You need my help..." I guessed.  
  
"Correct Miss Rose." the voice said without its masking as the lights raised slowly to reveal to me too late who I had been alone with for far too long...  
  
"Eggman!" I drew my piko piko and braced myself for an attack...  
  
An attack that never came...  
  
"I can hardly blame your reaction..." Dr. Robotnik said with what may have been genuine sadness... "But believe it or not, I truly do wish to help him. I've done so much wrong in my search for knowledge, it is time for me to do some good."  
  
I did not put my hammer away, nor did I relax my tensed muscles. "Why?" I growled. "Why should I trust you? You've done nothing that didn't serve you in some way. What is there to gain by doing this?"  
  
He looked away for a moment. "Redemption," he said quietly.  
  
In spite of myself, I relaxed a little. Could he be telling the truth? Does he truly regret all the evil he's done?  
  
"I wish I could tell you more," he said after a brief pause. "I really do, and I know I'm the last one who should ask this, but I need you to trust me. For Sonic's sake."  
  
I glanced again at the projection screen out of the corner of my eye. There he was, still trudging at a comparably slow pace. His disappointment and self-loathing evident in his eyes.  
  
For Sonic, I would work with the devil himself...  
  
So I did...  
  
--------------------  
  
I played my role...  
  
I said my lines...  
  
And I did my part in the greatest lie Sonic had ever suffered...  
  
And I did it in the darkest hour of his life thus far...  
  
And somehow, I knew that thanks to me... it would only get darker...  
  
I don't know what happened after I fled Eggman's "base", but I regretted my actions immediately. I had helped our worst foe capture the one I loved. So I truly did run off to seek our friends. We had taken down Robotnik and G.U.N. before, we would do it again.  
  
But for all his evil, the doctor was a genius, and anticipated my actions. After I had run for about half an hour, a black G.U.N. helicopter zoomed overhead and landed in front of me. A small platoon of soldiers climbed out.  
  
Then Eggman himself exited the vehicle, a slight smirk on his face...  
  
And suddenly fearing the worst, something inside me snapped...  
  
I leapt at him, brandishing the piko piko.  
  
The platoon was on me instantly, and thought I was vastly outnumbered they could only barely hold me back.  
  
"You bastard!" I snarled as I hopelessly struggled to free myself. "What did you do to him?! If you've hurt him, I swear you shall pay!" But my screams of anger quickly turned to sobs of despair as I remembered that it was as much my fault as it was his. If not more so.  
  
"I assure you," he said. "Sonic is fine. The experiment was a, limited, success..."  
  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" I shouted. "No wait, you can't tell me, but you wish you could, right?"  
  
He ignored me. "We could not restore his speed. But he will get back up to speed on his own with time. Do not concern yourself. The whole experience will seem little more than a dream to him."  
  
"Oh yeah?" I said between sobs. "Well what's keeping me from running right back to him and telling him everything?!"  
  
His answer surprised me. "Trust, nothing more. You trusted me and my intentions. I trust you to do what you think is right."  
  
I stopped fighting and fell limp, unsure of all that had happened and what to do next.  
  
"Just..." he said after a pause. "Make him happy. Make his next days happy, he has rough times ahead..."  
  
And with that, they all reentered the copter and took off. Leaving me there like the spiritually-broken animal that I was...  
  
--------------------  
  
In the end I did trust him. I went home and cried myself to sleep every night.  
  
As he had predicted, three weeks later, Sonic came back of his own free will. I wanted to cry... To tell him everything... To beg for his forgiveness...  
  
But then something amazing happened...  
  
He hugged me...  
  
To him it must've been little more than a courteous gesture, like throwing scraps to a begging puppy.  
  
But it meant everything to me...  
  
Such an open showing of affection and care without provocation...  
  
And his eyes shone with that familiar happiness...  
  
I couldn't do it...  
  
Though it would've been for the best, though I regret not telling him to this day, I could not bring myself to break his joy... Especially if Robotnik was telling the truth...  
  
I feigned my usual upbeat attitude, but I was crying inside. Already it had felt like I continued to fail him, to betray him...  
  
But in the end, all I ever wanted was for him to be happy...  
  
So I held my peace...  
  
--------------------  
  
And then came that day...  
  
The day Shadow, still in his Super form, returned to face Sonic for reasons none of us could understand.  
  
The day I died...  
  
We arrived in time to witness Sonic shattering the Chaos Emeralds and becoming Chaos Sonic. The sound was deafening as he crushed the gems, and a wave of invisible force threw me backwards. I looked up and gasped in surprise.  
  
His eyes glowed with an unearthly power, what ever he had become, he was no longer the Sonic I loved.  
  
I watched in horror as he took to the sky and fought his former ally, flying off in some random direction.  
  
And I knew this was all my fault...  
  
So I ran after them.  
  
"Amy?!" Knuckles called after me.  
  
But I didn't slow down. "They're going to kill each other!" I simply shouted. "We have to stop them! they shouldn't be fighting!"  
  
I didn't look back to see if they followed me...  
  
I didn't look down at where I was going...  
  
I just looked at the soaring lights in the sky...  
  
And I followed them wherever they flew as best I could...  
  
After a few minutes, the two clashed together and plummeted to earth a short distance away behind a pile of rubble.  
  
I gasped as the force of their landing threw me back. But only for a moment, as I began to run on again.  
  
But something held me back...  
  
I looked behind me and saw Knux holding my left arm, gasping from the effort of chasing me. The others were fast catching up to us. "Amy..." He gasped. "Those two are fighting with so much power and energy... It's not safe..."  
  
He didn't understand... Something was about to happen, something horrible...  
  
Something I had helped cause...  
  
To Sonic...  
  
I couldn't let that happen...  
  
I wouldn't!  
  
With my right arm, I drew my hammer and struck Knuckles, causing him to let me go long enough to run on...  
  
There he was... The thing Sonic had become.  
  
It's right arm, a misshapen claw of multicolored crystal, had clamped onto Shadow and began to shake slightly. More and more gems tore through Sonic's flesh, slowly covering him like a spreading plague, while Shadow's brilliant aura faded...  
  
And he laughed...  
  
Chaos Sonic laughed in a horrific otherworldly voice...  
  
"He's IS going to kill him..." I realized in terror.  
  
I charged down to them. "No Sonic! DON'T!"  
  
But he didn't listen, he couldn't hear me...  
  
And he kept laughing...  
  
Not knowing what else to do, I smashed my hammer into a large diamond jutting out of his back.  
  
The scream was ear-splitting, and like no sound any living creature had ever made...  
  
But slowly, almost unnoticeably, the voice changed to his own cry of agony.  
  
His claw had released Shadow, who flew off into the distance to recover.  
  
And slowly the monster turned to face me...  
  
Eyes full or rage, vengeance and pain...  
  
But they were HIS eyes...  
  
"Sonic..." I whispered ever so softly.  
  
I wanted to tell him...  
  
To tell him of my part in the horrible lie that had been played on him...  
  
To beg his forgiveness...  
  
But somehow, I could tell...  
  
He already knew...  
  
He knew I had lied, had betrayed him, the one he thought I loved...  
  
But I did... I do... I just...  
  
Suddenly, the claw whirled around and gripped my throat and lifted me off the ground...  
  
This was no monster... It was Sonic...  
  
Sonic truly wanted to kill me...  
  
...  
  
If that is truly what he wanted... It was certainly what I deserved...  
  
Knuckles, Rouge and Tails fought fiercely to free me, but Sonic ignored them.  
  
Didn't they realize this is what I wanted?  
  
I would gladly give my life to Sonic...  
  
So if that's what he wants...  
  
Then I shall...  
  
My one last regret was that I lacked the strength to warn him of Shadow rapidly approaching as my life spiraled into darkness...  
  
--------------------  
  
I wanted to die...  
  
I thought I had died...  
  
But my foolish body kept on living...  
  
So here I lay in purgatory...  
  
Not alive, but not dead...  
  
Awake, yet unconscious...  
  
Praying for a release that will never come...  
  
Yet welcoming the punishment I have been given...  
  
Day in, day out...  
  
Forever...  
  
--------------------  
  
I truly did love him...  
  
_"Amy, quit kidding around."_  
  
Despite the fact that I only seemed to bring him discomfort...  
  
_"Amy, leave me alone."  
_  
All this time I loved him so much...  
  
_"Amy, stop it."_  
  
That I never saw, or refused to see...  
  
_"Amy, I don't love you."_  
  
That he never loved me...  
  
_He always hated you...  
_  
He always ran from me...  
  
_You were never more than an annoyance...  
_  
But it always felt so right... I loved him... I DO love him so much...  
  
_Yet all these years, your love has gone unreturned...  
_  
There is nothing worse than loving one who despises you...  
  
_He wanted to kill you... Wanted you to die...  
_  
And I failed him, even in that...  
  
_You love him so, yet all you ever do is fail him...  
_  
...  
  
_So the question is, if he loathes you so, why do you love him?  
_  
I don't know, love is not something that can be turned on or off, you simply love who you love...  
  
_Exactly, love cannot be forced. One cannot be made to love something they don't...  
_  
Yet, I tried. I hoped that I could change him, could make him love me...  
  
_When deep down you knew, you always knew, that could never happen.  
_  
He never will love me, will he?  
  
_No..._  
  
...  
  
_So why do you struggle to live? You want to die, but somewhere you want to live as well...  
_  
...  
  
_What reason do you have to live?  
_  
... Because, because I love him...  
  
_Yet knowing he can never love you back, you wish to go on with your hopeless affection?  
_  
... Yes. It is his determination, his truth to himself that I love. And this love, one-sided as it may be, would be enough for him...  
  
_Will it be for you?  
_  
It has to be. Even if he won't love me, he is suffering. He needs his friends... Even me...  
  
_...  
_  
I love him. I love you Sonic! You hear me! I love you! And nothing you can do will ever change that!  
  
_...  
_  
--------------------  
  
"Amy, you need to wake up..."  
  
--------------------  
  
"Sonic...?"  
  
"Huh? AMY?!" A voice I thought long forgotten fills my ears.  
  
"Tails," I reply weakly. "Is that you?"  
  
"Amy! You're awake!" Overcome with emotion, he hugs me gently.  
  
I try to return the embrace, but my muscles have atrophied from disuse. It is painful to speak, and anything needing more effort than breathing is near impossible.  
  
But I am back...  
  
I am alive...  
  
For better or for worse...  
  
"Hey Tails," I say in a raspy voice. Millions of questions fly through my head. 'What are you doing here? How is everyone? How long has it been?  
  
But one question takes priority over all others. "Where is Sonic?"  
  
His elated face quickly turns into a sad frown. "He... He's here Amy... He's in the hospital. He's in real bad shape..."  
  
"Please Tails," I say. "Can I go see him?"  
  
"Amy, please," be begs. "You just woke up, you should be resting. And seeing him like this would be quite a shock."  
  
"I know..." I wheeze with a pleading look. "But please, I need to see him... please..."  
  
He sighs, the internal conflict obviously disturbing him. I pains me to pressure him so, but I needed to see him. I had to see Sonic...  
  
"Okay..." he finally says, his head hung in defeat. "I'll go get a wheelchair..."  
  
"Thank you..." I say, but it comes so softly he doesn't hear me.  
  
That or he just ignored me...  
  
In a matter of minutes, we are outside a large door.  
  
"Are you sure about this Amy? He's in real bad shape..."  
  
I want to say no. I'm tired and woozy from being upright for the first time in too long. And for Tails to repeat himself like that... I must be terrible...  
  
Why should I care? He doesn't love me anyways...  
  
...But I do love him...  
  
"Yes Tails, I'm sure."  
  
He pushes my chair into the door, opening it inward. Immediately my ears are filled with a cacophony of beeps, whirs and clicks of countless machines .  
  
Whatever it is that's laying there, entangled in a web of wires and tubes, it can't be Sonic.  
  
It can't be...  
  
"His right arm..." Tails begins as he turns away from Sonic and I. "It was nothing but bone and scar tissue. It had to be removed to hold back infection. He's got countless wounds where the emeralds were embedded in his skin. They're not healing too well... His heart's still beating, but he needs to be on a ventilator to help him breathe..."  
  
I look away from Sonic, and see that Tails is shaking with the effort to keep from crying. With remarkable effort, I place my hand on his. "It's okay..." I whimper, trying not to make it harder on him by weeping too. "Thank you so much Tails... I'm thankful to you for bringing me to see him. I have only one last favor, can you leave us for a moment?"  
  
He silently nodded and left without facing me. The poor fox must be crying his eyes out...  
  
Not that I'm that far off, Sonic looks like little more than a blue blur... How ironic that he's not moving, but looks the same...  
  
"Hey Sonic" I say with a slight sob. "I missed you. I wonder what had happened to you. What you felt, what you saw...  
  
"I'm sorry Sonic," I choke out. "I'm so sorry I lied to you. That I hid the truth from you, even in your darkest hour. I don't know what Eggman did to you, but I wish I had no part of it...  
  
"You probably hate me don't you?" I listened for his reply, but all I heard was the sounds of the hospital equipment. "It's okay. I'd hate me too. But you know what Sonic? It doesn't matter...  
  
"Because I love you...  
  
"I always teased how we would marry, flirted with you, and chased you wherever you went. But I truly do love you. That's why it doesn't matter how you feel. I love you, and I always will. Even if you never love me, you will always be a source of strength to me.  
  
"But I will respect your wishes... Should you ask me to not chase you, I won't... If you tell me to not talk to you, I'll stop...  
  
"And if you tell me you never want to see me ever again..." I paused and gasped at the mere thought of it. But if he ever did wish it...  
  
"Then it will be so...  
  
"But first," I finally said after taking a moment to regain my composure. "You have to wake up to tell me anything.  
  
"So please," I say between gasps of sadness. "You have to wake up. Even if not for me, for Tails, Knuckles, Rouge and Shadow. They need you. I need you...  
  
"So please wake up... Please..." I collapse in a sobbing heap on top of him. "Please promise me you'll wake up..."  
  
And for a short moment all is silent. Then the only sound is an aquamarine Chaos Emerald that falls from my grasp and clatters onto the floor...  
  
--------------------  
  
A/N: Whew, sorry that took me forever, but it's been the month from heck. Between moving, two family trips, a business trip AND my laptop dieing (AFTER I wrote this chapter out, of course... It REALLY bites when you have to write a chapter twice, especially one as long as this...) I just took forever, sorry.  
  
Also, I must admit, I've found a new vice. Final Fantasy XI. If you're ever in ol' Vana'diel, Slyph server, drop Thag or Redemption a line, you'd make my day.  
  
Flabbergasted: Yeah, I worried Shadow wanting to kill himself over losing his speed wouldn't be too plausible. but like I said in chapter one, I think that Speed is more than his defining trait, he truly sees it as most, if not all, of what he is.  
  
Kirby-Chan263: I know, sorry. I'm actually a Sonic fan too, but (obviously by now) I really wanted to save him for last. He's the star, and the largest focus of the Chaos Emeralds. I PROMISE, that he's next!  
  
Pink Shimmer: Yep, Amy was next, YOU BEEN PEEKING AT MY NOTES?!?! But I'm using the more recent video game universe's rules with seven emeralds, so one emerald left, and a certain blue hedgehog whose fate hangs in the balance... Stay tuned!  
  
Void99: You can't rush perfection, but you can't attain it either. I just try my best to make an interesting story. I'm glad you like it.  
  
Az The Dragon: Yeah, Chaos rules! I'm hoping he'll come back in a future Sonic game, Tikal too. But yeah, it seems my stories are getting a little "preachy" with morals and stuff... Not my original intention, but I hope it works out for you, the readers.  
  
Personally I LOVED writing this chapter, (and since you guys love the ones I hate, this one should flop...) even though I had to do it TWICE! Sorry it's so long, but with the story reaching its end (10 chapters, just like part one) there's a lot of ground to cover still. Keep reviewing guys and gals, I need your input to keep me on my toes!  
  
Thanks for reading,  
  
thag-the-upset 


	8. Sonic: One's Desire

THE NEED 2 SPEED

Sonic: One's Desire

* * *

"Okay Sonic," he says across a small field. "You ready?"

I grin mischievously. "For you knucklehead?" I reply. "Any time..."

My sparring partner's eyes narrow, and he is suddenly dashing towards me.

"You've improved..." I chuckle before starting my own charge.

Which is it?! I think to myself. Right of left, right or left?!

But at our combined speed, there's no time to think, simply act.

We attack simultaneously, and slide to a stop a few yards apart, in a clearing of grass flattened from the force of our blows.

There is a chuckle behind me. "Nice try Sonic..."

He raises his left arm to show the bruise from my deflected attack.

"Damn..." I whisper, "It was left..."

I am suddenly thrown to my knees from the flash of delayed pain from Knux's strike. Sure enough, a large bruise slowly appears on my left side.

Ever since he found the red Chaos emerald, Knuckles has gained speed to rival mine, and he was ALWAYS a better fighter. With my only advantage nullified...

"Okay Knuckles," I groan as I stand up. "One more time."

"Best of nine?" he laughs.

"Seven!" I retort. "You fell too the third time!"

"Yeah," he replies indignantly, "AFTER you did..."

"Whatever," I scoff. "One last time. All-out. No holding back..."

He picks his emerald up off of the grassy plain. "No holding back, huh?" He tightens his grip as he speaks. "Fine with me."

I crouch down, ready to give him all the speed I have. I place my right arm forward, getting in a track runner's position.

My right arm...

No, something's not right here...

Images flash in my mind, like a series of blinding lights flashing in random sequence, too quick to really see or understand.

Suddenly my arm is filled with weakness and pain, causing me to fall forward on top of it.

If it lasts any longer than a moment, I fail to notice, as it quickly feels as though every cell in my body bursts into flame.

I writhe around helplessly as the pain spreads and intensifies, too extreme for me to even cry out.

The pain is incredible, blocking out my thoughts and senses...

I can't breathe... I can't see... I can't think...

Why won't he help me?!

"Chaos..." Knuckles says as if nothing's wrong.

I try to shout to him, to beg him to stop, but I can only make wheezing noises.

"CONTROL!"

After so many years, I have figured out how Chaos Control functions. Tikal once told me the Emeralds were like fountain heads, focal points through which all the energies of the universe flow. When using Chaos Control, you cause the Emerald you are using to "dam up" one of the streams of energy, letting you be pulled along at incredible speeds.

However there is one catch. When using chaos control against one so attuned to the Emeralds, like me or Shadow, we can see it.

We can see the beam of light that you are going to use, an instant before it warps you. We can't tell how far you'll go, but we can see the path you'll take.

And the emerald will be right in the center.

So I hurl myself forward with all the strength I can muster, and throw my fist down the crimson beam of light. And I hope.

Call it luck, call it fate, but I connect.

My pathetic attack lands on the Emerald in his hand, and everything is still.

The world around me shatters like so much glass, and I am left tumbling into the endless void, alone...

--------------------

"Sonic, wake up!"

I sit up with a gasp. I'm in Tails' workshop. What a horrible dream.

At least, I think it was... I can't remember anything from it... Nothing but an intense residual feeling of anxiety.

My little bro chuckles. "Those late-night chili dogs finally catching up to you, huh Sonic?"

I shake my head, fighting off the drowsiness and sense of panic. "No way bud," I say as nonchalantly as I can. "You know there's no downside to eating chili dogs anytime!"

My friend grinned in reply through a mask of dirt, sawdust and oil. Whatever he had been working on, he had been at it all night.

"Well," he said after a moment. "It's just as well that you're awake. I think we're ready to try her out." And with that he walked into the next room.

'Try what out?' I wondered as I followed him.

The entire next room was filled with an enormous machine, leaving little room for me and Tails to stand. The contraption was more complex than anything Eggman had ever made, though anything more complex than a toaster would give me pause.

But it was there, in the middle of it all, hovering between two spires of metal was the focus of it all.

A yellow Chaos Emerald.

For the briefest of moments, the sight of the emerald fills me with dread, fear and panic. 'What is he doing with that?! Get rid of it, NOW! We're in terrible danger!'

Then it is past, and I feel foolish for thinking such things. I've used the gems more than any other living creature, I know there is nothing to fear.

Not for much longer...

Wait, that was it! I remembered suddenly, Tails had been searching for a safe and certain way to dispose of them. It seemed that no matter what happened, trouble was always close behind whoever possessed the seven gems. So together we decided to get rid of them.

But with so much power they could not be conventionally destroyed, the resulting explosion would be equivalent to that of a small nuclear bomb. Tails theorized that by using the gem's own power, we could send them into another dimension, using Chaos Control. It all looked good on paper, and though we needed a massive energy boost to do it, the fake emerald had been sent.

It would work...

It had to...

"Okay, little buddy," I say softly as I cross my fingers. "Fire it up."

He nods with a look of determination on his face. He gripped a large lever and pulled it.

The room was filled with a deafening roar as the monstrous device lurched to life. The two metal spikes begin to slowly move and spin around the hovering gem.

Faster and faster...

Louder and louder...

Then all is silent...

The area around the Chaos Emerald grows dark, nothing more than a dim yellow glow showing it is still there...

Tails says something, but I can't even hear my own heartbeat in the vacuum of sound.

With a fierce intensity I've rarely seen from him, he presses a large red button.

The two spikes are little more than a blur, but they fire out beams of energy at their floating target.

Suddenly my left eye felt like it had burst, causing me to shriek in pain.

And though I cover it with my hands instinctively to stop the pain, it still sees all to clearly...

Again, pictures speed though my eye, slower, more clearly this time...

Again? This time? Was it really just a dream before?

Super Shadow howling in a mad rage... Amy being lifted off the ground by her neck...

Me... Running so slowly...

"What the hell is going on here?!" I shout, but again, the machine is nullifying all sound. Tails fails to hear me, and he is watching his project with such intensity

It's glowing brighter...

Whatever the hell is happening to me... the Chaos Emerald has to be the cause of it! It's... resisting... Fighting back!

As my sense of panic comes flooding back, I know there is only one thing to do...

I thrust my hand away from my still-aching eye and into the dark vortex where the emerald is.

A biting cold crushes my arm as it reaches in. It starts to go numb, I barely feel the gem when I touch it.

With surprising difficulty I pull it out, back into our world.

And the visions stop. The pain subsides. And even my arm quickly warms up to its normal temperature.

"It's just as well..." I say to myself. "I wouldn't wish the chaos on anyone. It is our problem to fix... No one else's..."

But something is wrong...

My arm continues to heat up, having already surpassed room temperature.

I look down at it and gasp.

The Chaos Emerald is shining, pulsing like a heartbeat. Yellow lines shoot down from my palm in a seemingly random lines... Like blood vessels, rapidly spreading a cancerous lifeblood into my body. The lines turn different colors, and burst out of my skin like so many crystal knives, deforming my arm into some kind of claw...

And I am filled with absolute terror...

In my panicked state of mind I turn and throw the gem, desperate to get it as far from me as soon as possible.

Too filled with fear to realize I had thrown it right at my lil' buddy...

"TAILS!" I cry out as my arm starts to twitch like it was electrocuted.

Too late, though, he turns... Never even seeing the yellow missile hurtling towards his head...

It connects at shocking speed, and a brilliance fills my eyes, blinding me.

And not just Tails', but the voices of millions screaming fill my ears and mind...

--------------------

"Stop this Sonic,"

"I can't Rouge," I say with my head hanging low. "I can't describe it, something's just... wrong... With everything... I need to find out what's going on. Visions, weakness, dreams, pains... What am I supposed to do?"

"You just have to accept it... I'm sure its hard, even frightening... But it is your fighting that makes it hurt... Just give in..."

"You know I can't do that, it just isn't my style..." I say with a halfhearted chuckle. "You know..."

I was going to say 'that' but a realization stopped me. "You know..." I repeated. "You know the answer, don't you? You know the truth, what's happening to me, to the world around me. You know more than you've ever let on..." I finally raise my head and stare at her with fierce intensity. "So why won't you tell me?"

She was taken aback by my accusations, but not for long. "Because you're my friend," she said as tears formed in her eyes. "Because I care for you. Because the truth is far worse than a simple surrender. I beg you Sonic, just accept your fate peacefully, and the hurting will stop..."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" I shout as I grab her sobbing shoulders and angrily shake the bat. "I don't care about fate, to hell with fate! All I want is to know what's happening to me!" I let go of her and act as if I were about to walk away. "If you truly were my friend, if you DID care for me, you'd tell me..."

"I'm sorry Sonic," he sobbed. I smirked, confident she was about to answer my questions. "But the truth is just too horrible to tell. I truly wish you would go in peace, but if you choose not to, then so be it. But I will not help you resist the inevitable..." And I heard her turn and begin to run away.

Damn, she had called my bluff. I turned and ran after her, but she seemed to remain just out of reach. As the gap between us stopped closing, I leapt forward with all my might and grabbed wildly at the air in my best efforts to stop her.

But I fell just short...

Instead of landing and skidding along the ground, I kept falling through the earthen path I had been running. I tried to gasp in surprise, but it was like being in some thick liquid which quickly filled my lungs.

I gasped, coughed and struggled, but I kept feeling myself being drawn downward. But as I sank, the darkness of the mire was slowly replaced with an all-encompassing light. But the liquid was solidifying fast, like ice that was somehow not cold...

And as it became less of a pool, and more of a block, the light began to turn violet, and the amethyst substance began to form a shape.

It was a Chaos Emerald, I was inside the purple Chaos emerald!

My lungs ached for air, and protested the glass-like substance that had frozen itself solid all the way down my throat.

And as I continued being unable to breathe, I passed out at last after seemingly endless pain...

--------------------

"You really aren't going to stop are you?" It was Tikal this time.

"No," I replied flatly. "Kill me, hurt me, make me suffer all you want... whoever you are... but I WILL know the truth...

She stood behind me, but I could feel her staring a hole in my back.

"So be it..." She said after a long pause. "If I tell you the truth, if you truly see the horror of all that has happened, perhaps then, it will make your future easier to accept..."

'Not bloody likely,' I thought to myself, but didn't want to stop her answer.

"You are right," She started after another brief moment of reflection. "I am not Tikal, this is not real, and something is very 'wrong' with you...

"Something that, despite all their history and knowledge of the seven, the ancients never understood... no never knew, was that the Chaos Emeralds... We... are sentient."

My mind struggled to process this new information. "You mean, you are the Chaos Emeralds? I've been interacting with you all this time?"

"Not exactly," 'Tikal' replied. "I am getting ahead of myself... This person, Tikal, told you the Seven act like focal points through which all the energies of existence flow through. Life, physical energies... And hope...

"Hope itself is a form of energy, one that exists on a level most can barely comprehend. Those few, like you, who resonate with the Chaos Emeralds can tap into the very essence of hope itself, bringing their greatest and most passionate desires to life... Every time you invoked the Seven's power, your wish was always the same..."

"More speed..." I answer in realization. "More power to help protect the Earth and my friends... So you are..."

"A facet of yourself," she replies. "Or to be more accurate, a piece of what you truly want to be deep down inside. When focusing this power, one is shown what they want to see, granted what they want, and filled with a power beyond mortal beings...

"And therein lies to source of your problems. Your body is incapable of using so much power for so long a time. It becomes like a drug... An incredible high that one cannot help but crave more of. And like any high, there is a withdrawal as you come down from it. You muscles and body and even spirit were put under incredible strain, they must relieve the stress somehow, thus they are weaker than before..."

This was all unbelievable. "Why?" I had to ask as I finally turned to face her. "Why do you do this if it brings so much pain and suffering?"

But it wasn't Tikal standing there...

It was her body, with my head...

"You forget," The voice was now mine, though the image of Tikal seemed to fade in and out around my double. "We are nothing more than the reflection of one's innermost hopes. The truth is, 'we' have done nothing to you... It has always been you, and others like you, who have gotten what they truly wished..."

"No... NO!" I cried as I ran from myself into the endless darkness that surrounded us. "I never wanted all this, I NEVER wanted to hurt my friends!"

--------------------

"Oh didn't you?"

I stopped, it was a voice I hadn't heard in a long time, at least not in his real voice...

"Shadow..."

And surely, though there was no real light source, he stepped into view. "Faker..." he said with his usual sneer.

"Although," he continued. "You are a faker no more... You no longer pretend to show restraint. You finally accept all you are. A superior being, a vessel of power, a DESTROYER!"

"Shadow, no..."

"Admit it! Deep down, since the beginning you were envious of my power, my Chaos Control, and my understanding of the Seven. That day, over two years ago, your true feelings burst forth like water from a dam. You wanted me dead, you wanted Robotnik dead, you wanted Amy dead!"

"No..."

"YES!" he shouted in a goading anger. "You felt like you had no control over your actions, because you've restrained yourself so much over the year that you're practically two different people! and for those two glorious years, after so much imprisonment, the other you was in control." His face turned from furious rage to a sadistic joy. "Who know what chaos and destruction you wrought since your last moment of sanity? Oh but that's not the worst part..."

I knew what he was going to say. "Don't," I warned sternly. "Don't you dare say what I think you will next..."

"You...

"Liked...

"It..."

I lashed out at him in wild strokes. Throwing reckless punches and kicks, which he seemed to avoid so easily.

But the truth is I wasn't striking at him...

I wanted to attack myself...

Because I knew he was right...

It was like I had awaked from a long, pleasant dream. I don't remember what I saw, what I felt those two years.

But I could remember that it was good. Whatever it was, I HAD liked it...

I finally stopped my attack and fell to all fours. Was it all true? Was it really my struggling that brought so much pain to myself and those around me? Should I really just give in?

I wanted to...

It had hurt... It hurt so much for these last few months...

And everything faded to white...

--------------------

"I can't do it..." I told myself aloud. "I'm sorry Amy, but I can't just give into the power. I've used it, I DESERVE to let it use me... But... I just can't..."

"Sonic..." my guess had been right, it was my number one fan. "I... WE... We all just wish you peace, to be happy. You have done so much good, you of all of us deserve to suffer like this the least. And not just me, the REAL Amy... and your REAL friends, all miss you terribly. The chaos emeralds have existed since the beginning of time, their patience and power are infinite. Please, do not force yourself to suffer like this forever..."

"Amy..." I pause to carefully choose my words. "This isn't real... Wonderful as it may be to be shown my grandest dreams come true, they wouldn't be real...

She looked genuinely sad. I knew she wasn't really her, but she seemed truly dismayed at my reply.

"Real? Do you truly wish to see what is real?"

"Yes..." I answer softly. That's all I want..."

With tears in her eyes, she nodded and was gone...

There I lay... On a hospital bed, now more machine than hedgehog, wires, tubes, equipment and bandages covering me like vines over a rock. My right arm was clean gone. and though I couldn't see under all the bandages around my head, I could feel my left eye was too. My body, from head to toe was covered with wounds and sores, all either festering, or seeming to have barely healed at all, after all this time.

"Even if you somehow overcame the impossible odds," Amy's voice continued. "Even if you somehow pulled yourself from the brink of oblivion, this would be your fate. Your own body would become a prison, now too weak to even open its own remaining eye. And for all that you suffer here in this limbo, you would suffer far more in life...

A strong wind blew from somewhere and the image was blown away like sand...

--------------------

_"So..."_ a familiar voice said. _"There can be no more dawdling. Your life as it is, will not hold out much longer, you need to choose. Now..."_

The floor lit up in cobalt light that matched my quills. And before me stood the last, the seventh, the judge, the mirror of my soul.

Me...

He held out his hand, revealing the seventh Chaos Emerald...

_"I am not you," _he said. _"But I know the secrets hiding in the depths of your soul, you cannot lie to me. You want to live, you want to be fast again, you want to awaken; not just from your coma, but your true potential!"_

I wanted to protest, to jam the emerald right down the phony's throat...

But he was right, I was more aware now, I could feel it, death's chilling hand on my shoulder...

And, heaven help me, I wanted to live...

But a thought stopped me. "What life would it be?" I asked myself. "I would hold no real free will, and I would not even be aware of the world around me, what would I become?"

My double took a step towards me. _"Happy... You still don't understand... The Seven control the powers of hope, joy and peace themselves! Whatever it is your heart truly wishes, you will see, you will feel, you will HAVE! So what is it Sonic? What is your single greatest desire? All you must do is think of it, touch the gem, and your suffering will be replaced with pure bliss..."_

I stood teetering on the edge. I knew, if I took this offer, all he said would be true, but what of the REAL world? What destruction and mayhem would I bring?

What pain?

What suffering?

But... Didn't the world OWE me?

Haven't I saved millions of lives, countless times over?

What about me? Where's my peace? My joy?

My double's form wavered and became Knuckles. "Sonic," the echidna's voice came out clearly. "Is the greatest fighter I've ever seen. He deserves to be happy..."

Then it was Tails "I hate to see Sonic so weak..."

Rouge. "I would give anything to end Sonic's pain. He's done so much for me and others..."

Chaos. "This isn't right! Sonic's done no evil, he deserves better than the fate I bear!"

Shadow. "Damn that Faker, always has to do the right thing, no matter the cost to himself..."

Amy. "Please Sonic... You have to wake up..."

Then again, the figure was me. _"I assure you, these were no illusions, all actual thoughts they have had for you. For we are linked to them through you..."_

"My friends..."

My look-alike walked towards me, and slowly the platform on which we stood began to dissolve behind him.

He offered the Jewel one last time, as we now stood only a foot between us, we were on a rapidly-shrinking disc floating in oblivion.

_"Well,"_ he said with the same arrogant tone I used to use before all this BS befell us. _"What is it that you truly want?"_

A single tear rolled down my cheek as, for the first time, in my life of wandering and running and searching, I knew...

I finally knew what I really wanted... And this was my only chance to take it.

Shakily, I lifted my hand and placed it on top of the blue gem.

"I..." I stammered between sobs of fear.

"I want... my friends..."

The other me gave a look of confusion, suddenly overcome by one of shock and horror as my other arm looped under his, and I kicked off, sending us both plummeting into the unknown...

"I WANT MY FRIENDS TO LIVE! TO BE HAPPY!"

--------------------

Amy was suddenly awakened by a rapid beeping alarm. Having tuned out the whole noise of the machines that kept Sonic "alive" over the last few days, this new noise came all to clear.

Overcome in panic, her eyes fell on Sonic's frail from, which was suddenly convulsing with more strength than any thought it still had.

Amy screamed and called for help, but none ever came. For what seemed like an eternity, she watched as the body of the one she loved shook and thrashed in unimaginable agony.

Then it began to glow...

Sonic arched his back, and a blinding blue light washed over him, blinding Amy.

Then just when the light grew too powerful to look at, it was gone...

But so was Sonic...

There on the bed, impressed from his body, not a quill remained, the web of tubes and wires and devices lay in their places...

And in the center, lay a blue Chaos Emerald, the exact shade of his fur, with three small words engraved on it's surface.

"Amy," she read through the tears. "I'm sorry..."

* * *

A/N: That's right, I KILLED OFF SONIC! Come on, honestly now, who could've POSSIBLY seen that coming? (All the readers raise their hands) -- Thanks a bunch...

Anywho, I must admit, this chapter was too ambitious for me. Too many thoughts and things to work out, too much ground to cover, and (as usual) I don't think I did that well. But who cares, I'm just the author, what do YOU think?

Daikonran : Yeah, I know I've been going REALLY slow with the updates, but what can I say? Too much "Real Life" has been going on... But I'm VERY glad you liked the last chapter, to be honest, I was REALLY not looking forward to typing amy's chapter, too much pressure, but if the fans (you) are happy, I won't complain!

Kuro-Kitsune : Heck, I have ZERO problems with corny material, without it, I wouldn't have any jokes! (rimshot) ...Sorry... Seriously, your questions will be answered soon, I want to keep a certain element of mystery as Sonic and the gang really have little to no idea what they are dealing with. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations, as I said, I think I tried to tackle too much stuff at once, so tell me what you think. And my Metroid fic is still up, and I WILL continue it, I just have no idea when, heh heh...

Az The Dragon : Phew, I was really worried that Amy's chapter would put off more readers than it would impress (if it did, they're not telling me so) glad you liked it. And if your "cry that echoed through the house" was anything like mine, you probably got some nasty complaints from the neighbors...

Kirby-Chan263 : Yeah, believe it or not, it really wasn't my intention to focus so much on the love aspect but I kinda did... although I want it made clear that even though I like Son/Amy couples, in this fic I wanted it more tragic, for Amy's love to go unreturned, for Sonic NOT to love her. Guess I didn't portray that enough, but thanks for giving me your input despite the chapter's theme not really being to your liking.

Pink Shimmer : See that's how I always viewed their relationship. Amy always loved Sonic, but he never returned her feelings of affection. It is sad, but more dramatic that way, as long as I don't make it too much of a soap opera.

Flabbergasted : Well happy birthday, even though its well, a few MONTHS late... And you've got a deal as long as you finish "Triforce" before I die, and I got a good three years on you mister! Yeah, well I'll try to make the wait for the last two chapters nowhere near this long, but with midterms around the bend, I can't make any promises, so just don't go dying anytime soon, I GOTTA hear more about Link!

Thanks to everyone who read this, and a BIG thanks to all the reviewers! Also, is anyone else having trouble with the document preview function? Hmmmm....


	9. Tikal: And In Our Darkest Hour

THE NEED 2 SPEED

Tikal: And In Our Darkest Hour...

* * *

Three months. 

Three whole months ago, Chaos used his incredible powers to join our consciences together into my body. He had been suffering for so long from the strain of the Seven's temptation that it had all but broken him. I loved him, but it seemed that as he quietly sobbed in fear, the one I loved was getting farther and farther away.

Until that night three months ago when it finally became too much for him. He was determined to stay away from me forever, fearful of harming me again.

But I knew the man I loved was still somewhere in there, and I would never give him up for anything.

So with one last ritual, he dissolved his aquatic body, and fused our souls into one.

He still existed, as an odd presence that spoke to me in the back of my mind.

But he was not alone...

I gained his powers and between the two of us, we were able to leave the Master Emerald.

But every moment of every day... I could feel it too...

The distant pull of the Seven... A never ending sensation of loss, despair and hatred. Chaos had feared this, but I was glad to help shoulder his burden.

And I did, until two days ago...

I was sitting in lotus position before the Master Emerald, meditating. I had found that, with great focus and concentration, I could create a plain, a mirror of the real Angel Island in my mind's eye.

And there, Chaos and I could be together. It was real... It was all in our mind, but it was a true expression of our souls. It was the closest I could ever come to feeling his arms around me...

But a sudden scream pierced our collective consciousness...

And the feeling that had always tugged in the deepest, darkest shadows of my heart were gone...

The loss turned to joy, the despair became a sense of freedom...

And the hatred had changed to a fierce desire for revenge...

"Something is wrong..." I whispered fearfully.

Chaos held me tighter. "I feel it too..."

"Do you really think it has happened?" I ask.

"There is only one way to know for sure," he said, rising. "You must go to Sonic, go with great speed my love."

We embraced one final time, then my eyes snapped open, and I was back in the real world.

_Go..._ he urged in my mind.

I ran to the edge of the island and leapt off towards the sea below...

Within minutes, between my speed and agility and Chaos' powers, we had arrived at the hospital.

Amy was sitting in his room.

Alone...

Cradling what we had feared... The blue... the final chaos emerald...

"He's gone..." Amy's hollow voice cracked with sobs. "He's gone forever..."

_He was too far gone..._ Chaos said sadly. _His mind, body and soul all belong to the Seven now..._

--------------------

Today we had a funeral, just for us... The rest of the world would mourn in a few days...

But this was for those lucky few he called his friends.

Knuckles and Tails combined science and strength to shape an impressive life-sized statue.

Rouge and I gathered the most beautiful flowers we could.

Shadow, who had steadily regained his speed, scoured the earth for the best spot possible for the ceremony. He found a beautiful cliff on the coast, with a view of the endless water that seemed to go on forever.

And Amy...

She refused to leave his hospital room...

Somehow, Tails convinced her to come to the ceremony, but she looked as lifeless as when she had been in the coma...

It was for the best I suppose, funerals aren't meant for the dead... They are meant for the living...

We gathered around the newly-placed statue. A visage of Sonic, facing the ocean, his right arm outstretched as if to grasp something, and six indentations in the hexagonal base.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked as I looked at the green Chaos Emerald in my hand.

"Eggman's dead," Shadow said coldly. "No one knows were this place is, they'll be safe here. Besides..." He gripped his white emerald tightly. "He deserves this honor more than any of us."

"But," I began, but Chaos stopped me.

_They don't know... Let them have their moment of peace, we will do what we must with the Seven later..._

We each took our place around the statue and decided to begin.

Knuckles stepped up and held the red emerald before him.

"Sonic," he began. "I never asked for your help. No matter what disaster or evil would threaten the Master Emerald, I never asked you, or anyone for help...

"But you gave it anyway... There was no reward, nothing in it for you... it was just... the right thing to do... And that was always enough for you..."

He lowered the gem into it's place.

"All the way up to the end..."

He stepped back, already tears were filling our eyes, except for Amy, though her breath seemed to be a bit ragged.

Tails was next. Like Knuckles he stepped forward and raised the yellow Emerald above the indentation next to the red one.

"Sonic..." He said after a moment to get his sobbing under control. "As long as I can remember, I've followed you wherever you went. I wanted to make your speed, your courage, your strength my own. And somehow, somewhere along the way, you taught me, without ever saying so, what it was that made you so strong."

He placed his gem.

"Your heart, and always being true to it..."

Rouge placed a hand on Tails' shoulder before she started.

"Sonic..." she began hesitantly. "I didn't know you as well as the rest, but what little I knew was more than enough. You never backed down, never gave up, and never held onto any regrets... I envied that I suppose... Thank you for sharing your strength and bravery with all who knew you..."

She lowered the purple Emerald into its place.

"I shall continue to be strong... in your memory..."

I sighed as Rouge stepped back. I still had no idea what I was going to say. Everyone sounded so wise and loving...

_Just speak from your heart..._ Chaos said. _Say what you feel when you think of them, and they will think the same of you._

I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Sonic..."

"From when we first met, from all the time I knew you, till that day we last spoke... you never took the easy path... You would fight, and struggle and search for some way to defy whatever fate threw at you. You would always blaze your own trail, find your own path... And no matter where that path led..."

I placed the green Emerald, and it may have just been me, but I could've sworn it glowed a bit brighter in the statue's base...

"You would follow it to the end..."

And for just a moment, it was like Chaos was next to me, holding me in approval...

Shadow stayed back for a moment, but then stepped up.

"Sonic..." he said slowly, as if he was more unsure than I had been.

"I... I was always envious of you... You were surrounded by friends, you were always seen as a hero... I guess I wanted the life you had made..."

"But as time passed, and I learned more about you, I saw how nothing came easy for you. Yours was not a life of joy handed to you on a silver platter, you faced hardships and worked to earn all you had. and I guess you inspired me to try and to the same..."

He carefully inserted the white Chaos Emerald.

"For what little it's worth... you have earned my eternal respect..."

To be honest I was in awe of what I had just heard. For Shadow to be so bold, so open... I was just... shocked...

_Don't forget_ Chaos reminded, _He and Sonic shared a special bond, having been the only two, besides us, to have truly felt the power of the Seven..._

It was silent for a long moment, it was as I had worried... Amy simply wasn't ready to say goodbye... not yet...

"Amy..." Knuckles gently prodded.

"Sonic..." She began, the first word I heard her say today, but she finally collapsed into a sobbing heap. The dam of her composure had burst, and her true feelings now flew forth.

She cried...

She screamed...

She beat the ground with her fists...

But she threw off any who tried to comfort her...

"Sonic..." she said again in a shaky voice...

"It is no secret that I loved you" she whispered between sobbing fits. "And that I still do... and always will... And even... even if you never loved me back... I didn't care. I was always so happy just to be near you... And now I'll never see you again..."

She chuckled bitterly. "But I'm not going to give up... I'm not going to kill myself... I will try to be strong... to be like you... Because that's what you would want... And God willing... My reward will be that I may see you again... Someday..."

She struggles to place the aquamarine gem through her tears, but finally succeeds. She then holds Sonic's Emerald to her heart and falls to her knees...

"I can't do this..." she whimpered.

So Shadow and Knuckles helped her to her feet, and placed Sonic's cobalt emerald in the statue's hand.

The result was a beautiful tribute. Sonic's visage was bathed in a rainbow of light, six emeralds in a ring around his feet, and the seventh raised triumphantly to the sky... It like he was alive, standing right here among us...

But he wasn't, he was gone from our world...

All we could hope was the obvious...

That he was in a better place, that he had found some peace...

But somewhere deep inside, I feared that suffering like his, powers like the Seven, they could not be stopped by death...

And unfortunately, it turned out I was right...

"Sonic..." A cold voice similar to Shadow's growled. "Sonic, Sonic, Sonic..."

I can't speak for the others, but something about this voice triggered an innate sense of fear within myself...

And Shadow himself...

His usually cool demeanor was replaced by abject terror...

"No..." he said fearfully. "No... no no no no NO! Not after all this!"

"Shadow... What...?" I began.

"There's no time! Run!"

The voice grew louder. "Sonic... SONIC! It's ALWAYS SONIC!!!"

The Chaos Emeralds began to shake and glow brightly. Suddenly, the white emerald unleashed a mighty blast of light, launching shadow some distance away.

"Shadow!" Rouge called.

But before we could react, more of the emeralds leapt to life. Red, purple and yellow; scattering Knuckles, Rouge and Tails in different directions.

"What's happening?!" I wondered aloud as Amy fell to ground in shock.

_I don't know..._ Chaos replied. _But I fear we will be next... be ready for anything love..._

I adopted a fighting stance and stared the green emerald down... but it wasn't the emerald that caught my attention...

_You don't understand..._ I soft voice whispered in my heart.

'Chaos?' I thought...

_What is it?_ He replied, but a moment later he spoke again... _The burden pains you... You who carried it for three months... whereas I have carried it three millennia!_

A puddle began to appear in front of me... Small at first, but quickly growing into a human-sized vortex.

"Chaos..." I gasped in awe...

_No Tikal! It's not me... It's a trick!_

_NO! I am NOT you..._ he seemed to answer himself. _I am all that you desired... All that you wished you could be... All of what you feared... And we all tire of hiding, repressed in your shadows!_

_Tikal, look out!_

I was so distracted by the conflict in my mind, I failed to notice the pseudo-Chaos had launched towards me like a small tidal wave...

_I am your dark side... Your hopes, your dreams, your fears, your desires... And I WILL step out into the light!_

As I was swept away by the forceful torrent, I struggled to break free, to get some air...

And then I was there... in that mental projection of Angel Island... Chaos had stepped in...

Like a terrifying daydream, I watched as my eyes shined a viridian light, and I shattered my aquatic prison from within.

"INSOLENT FOOL!" My formed bellowed, but in Chaos' voice. "You DARE defile this memorable day with your presence..."

And I launched myself forward towards the re-forming shape of my lover.

_I DO dare!..._ It shrieked in our shared mind. _Because we are all stronger, braver and more true to ourselves than you fools will ever be!_

In Chaos' fear and rage, his attacks flew wildly and without focus, allowing our foe to easily evade every strike.

I looked around, and saw the others had returned, but they we not alone...

Like Chaos, doubles of them had appeared, only different, glowing with the might of the Chaos Emeralds...

And it looked like Shadow and Knuckles were the only ones who were holding their own...

Tails and Rouge were already bruised and bloody, but their doubles just kept up their assault...

But it was Amy's double that horrified me the most...

"You killed him you know..." the Chaos Amy said as she stood over the true Amy's shaking form.

"No... I would never..." She replied.

"But you DID... You lived... you survived when he wanted you dead..." Chaos Amy interrupted. "You made him fail, and it was his hatred for you that made him give in to death..."

"I... I just... I just wanted to live..."

"Ha!" Amy's twin laughed bitterly. "You've said on countless occasions that you'd do anything for him..."

"I would!" The real Amy responded without hesitation.

Her opposite grinned maliciously. "Then prove it." She stepped aside and pointed at Amy's Chaos Emerald. "Do what he wanted. End your pathetic existence and grant him his last wish..."

Amy hesitantly reached out towards the teal emerald and held the point to her arm...

"We are all that you ever desired..." Knuckles' twin said...

"All the knowledge you sought..." Tails' clone added...

"The courage you coveted..." Chaos-Rouge continued...

"The power you wished for..." said our own opponent...

"The speed you could NEVER possess..." Pseudo-Shadow chimed in...

"The love and devotion you CLAIM you have..." Amy's double concluded...

"And we grow tired of watching you live your lives in the futile struggle for these things..." They cried out together...

"You..." Knuckles said as he spat some blood from his bloodied face.

"You were the one's we heard!" Tails realized.

"But they're just like us... only stronger... and faster..." Rouge growled as she narrowly avoided a flurry of attacks.

"They ARE us..." Chaos shouted. "The emeralds bring out our innermost desires... And our darker intentions as well..."

"But if they're everything we wish we could be..." Shadow said. "We can't take them... We need help... We need..."

"SONIC!" Amy cried out as she dragged the emerald's tip across her wrist, letting her blood flow...

Suddenly, the Earth shook with an incredible fury... And time seemed to grind to a halt as the twelve of us froze in place...

"The servers..." a voice whispered though the frozen air. "Are the seven Chaos..."

Then the gem in the statue's hand began to shake and shine brilliantly...

"Chaos is power... enriched by the heart..."

The light grew brighter and brighter, until it's glow was all I could see...

"Finally... After all these years... I see... I've made peace... But more importantly..."

I could suddenly move... and lifted my arms to shield me from the light, until it slowly died down...

"Most important of all..."

The light suddenly grew much dimmer, and I lowered my arms...

...And nearly fainted from shock...

There he stood, the greatest hero we had ever known, who had fought and sacrificed so much for us all...

Super Sonic the Hedgehog...

"I finally understand..." he said...

* * *

A/N: Yes, yet ANOTHER cliffhanger! Mwahahaha!!! (ahem) Right... As usual, I apologize for the late update... I REALLY wanted this up by X-mas but well... let's just say it's been a crazy month, for better or for worse...

JaydenSkyehawk: AHHHH!! ZOMBIE! (gets his shotgun) It's great to see ya again man! Glad you're still around. Yeah they booted my "Knuckles goes looking for love" (which is probably for the best) too ;; But thanks a ton for emailing me those SAABB2 chappies, way to fight the system man.... or something... Anyway, keep the humor coming and I promise I'll finish this... someday...

Daikonran: Yeah, I wanted to off Sonic, but do it in a way that maintained his heroics and selflessness. To be honest, that was my intention of the first one, but people demanded his return and a continuation of the story...

kuro-kitsune: Well I DID kill Sonic, but as you can see it will take more than death to stop our blue blur... But like I've been saying thus far, I have to say it again, all will be answered... in due time... (also, once I finish this story, I intend to revamp- and continue "The Truth...")

Az the Dragon: (waves his hand in front of Az's astonished face) Hello? (shrugs) oh well, but yeah, you're right... Sonic DID find another way out... what is was, well... you'll see...

Kirby-Chan263: Thank you very much for saying that. It's really a sign that my work does resonate with the readers out there... Keep up the feedback, it's reviews like that that keep me going.

MysticJon15: No, TN2S will be 10 chapters long, just like the original. As for Sonic, I knew his death would be a gamble, but I felt it made a more dramatic scenario, plus I must admit... I was kinda going for the shock factor

Piper T. Hedgehog: Thanks, though something tells me that by the time this fic is completed, people will be sick of my constant re-hashing of the sequence of the seven heroes (Knuckles, Tails, Rouge, Chaos, Shadow, Amy and Sonic)...

Spyke the Hedgehog: Yeah, well I DO have issues, just not with Sonic, lol... But seriously, that's why I write. By giving my personal demons form on paper (or computer... whatever...) I find it easier to confront them...

Pink Shimmer: Well, like I said before... It was a gamble to kill Sonic, but I thought it made a more compelling story... Plus LOOK! He's BACK! Did he really die? Stay tuned!

Just one last thing before I go. Barring some major king-sized screw-up, the next chapter WILL BE THE LAST! I mean it this time... The orignial Need For Speed was meant to be a one-time thing... but so many people wanted more I had to make a sequal...

BUT NOT THIS TIME! It is my intention to tightly and neatly tie things up with my last chapter, so I hope you will all be satisfied with it.

Thanks to all who read this, and a BIG thanks for those who reviewed.

thag-the-upset


	10. Amy: Our Light Must Shine Brightest

THE NEED 2 SPEED

Amy: ...Our Light Must Shine Brightest

* * *

It couldn't be... 

He was dead... He had died... I had watched him die...

But somehow, it was...

"Sonic..." I whispered softly.

Though time was no longer stopped, the twelve of us stood still in shock, the chaotic versions of us as surprised as the originals.

After standing still for a moment, he slowly turned his head to look as each of us in turn...

A soft, sad yet caring smile crossed his lips as he looked at our friends.

But then his gaze fell on me...

And it was a gaze of anger and disgust...

He moved so slowly, so smoothly, like walking through water towards me.

"Stop him!" My twin cried out.

The five other doubles leapt at her word and surrounded him.

If he saw them, he didn't show it, he just continued his nonchalant pace towards me.

The dark versions of Shadow, Rouge, Tails, Knuckles and Chaos launched into a massive barrage of punches and kicks, much fiercer than before, now driven by what had driven us moments ago...

Fear...

At first I was terrified... The five of them moved and struck with such speed and force that Sonic MUST have been overwhelmed...

But then I noticed...

Slowly, oh so slowly, the blur of the five drew closer and closer...

As they got closer, I noticed that every blow was stopped by some invisible barrier that surrounded my love...

No... As I looked closer, I could see subtle differences in his steps... He was moving, countering and blocking so fast it seemed as if he didn't move at all...

Finally he was upon us, and a soft moan from him quickly rose to a furious bellow, and his five opponents were hurled away...

Leaving me, Sonic, and my now livid twin...

She shrieked as she leapt at him with her fist drawn back for a massive punch...

I looked away in fear, but the thundering noise and incredible force of the blow still rocked me to the core...

Despite my fear, I turned around...

My twin's punch had been thrown, her right arm extended...

Into thin air... Super Sonic had sidestepped the attack and landed a crushing blow of his own upon her back...

After a moment, she crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath.

Somehow, now faced with our greatest threat, our most powerful foes, and despite his own demise, Sonic had come through for us...

Just like he always did...

He kneeled down before me, and laid his hands upon my still-bleeding wrist.

They began to burn with unimaginable power, that slowly spread, and faded to a warm, gentle feeling of comfort.

When he arose, there was no blood, no scar, no sign that anything had happened...

"Sonic..." I whispered again. "I'm... I can't..."

"Why Amy?" He interrupted, his voice as pure and caring as I remember it being those long 25 months ago, back before this all began... "Why would you do this to yourself? After you have been through so much already?"

Whatever restraint I had left was destroyed by a wave of shame, and I began sobbing uncontrollably... I wanted to hold him, my arms ached for it... But I was half-afraid that he would be gone if I tried, and half-loathing myself, saying I wasn't worthy of holding him...

"Oh Sonic..." I wept on the ground, too weak from all that had happened to even stand. "I'm so sorry... But I missed you... I missed you so much... I just wanted to be with you again, even if it meant..."

"Amy." I felt his hands on my shoulders, and I wearily raised my head to look at him. "Listen, I want you to SWEAR to me, swear that you will NEVER do anything like that again... Maybe you think I'm worth it, maybe not, but no matter what, promise me you'll never hurt yourself again..."

And I saw something I'd never seen before...

A tear, a small, gossamer gem rolled down his cheek...

"I... I promise..."

"Sonic!" The others had recovered and come to meet us at the foot of the statue.

"Sonic..." Tails was crying freely, but at the time I wasn't sure if they were tears of Joy or sadness... Or fear... "What in the world is going on!"

"A good question," he said as he stood up. "Why don't you answer it, Tikal..."

Tikal stood still for a moment, her eyes shining dimly, before answering.

"Very well," she looked at our confused faces and continued. "Believe me, if I had known we had this little time, I would've spoken up, but I thought it could wait for a less-somber day...

"As you know from the 'Chaos Incident' the Chaos emeralds utilize two types of energy, both positive and negative... These forces exist in a delicate balance in every living person... Every time the powers of the Seven are invoked, this balance is altered, both in the host and the gems themselves, in order to unlock one's full strength...

"When Sonic shattered the Seven, their energies sought new focal points, and chose the seven of us, the first and most important people Sonic could think of. Now the seven of us are not like most other people, despite our collective faults, we hold our own positive energies dearer than our negative..."

"And the closer you get to a light" Knuckles added. "The bigger your shadow becomes..."

"Exactly." Sonic concluded. "Few people are capable of attaining their full potential, we are lucky to have our abilities, and it is amazing we can utilize our own positive energies as much as we do."

"However," Tikal continued. "By denying our deepest, darkest feelings, simply because they may not be best, our negative energy was gathered and made physical..."

Shadow turned and looked at the statue behind him. "The Chaos Emeralds..." he muttered.

Tikal nodded. "Yes, our foes are nothing less than our own darker halves, everything we ever strived to be, but were afraid to attain; all our darkest desires we hide from those around us; and the dark intentions that plague our nightmares... The Chaos emeralds usually dissipate this negative energy over time, but they have been used so many times over such a short period that they began to... overflow..."

Rouge gasped. "Sonic... that's what was happening to you?"

"I could feel it back from the first time I turned 'Super'." Sonic tilted his head back as he spoke, the memories obviously painful and frightening. "I could feel myself growing primal, more out of control... And it only got worse every time, till I began to go through some kind of physical withdrawal afterwards..."

"Well," Knuckles coughed to grasp our attention. "Not to sound crass, but how are we supposed to stand up to what is essentially Chaos-powered versions of ourselves?"

"You can't."

There was a moment of stunned silence while we tried to figure out if the dark-siders had returned...

But it wasn't them who had said so bleak a reply...

It was Sonic...

"Wh... What?" I asked in disbelief. "You... You're saying we should just give up?"

"Of course not," he replied with his usual arrogant grin. "But it is impossible to fight them, you can repress your dark side all you want, but it doesn't go away, it only festers, spreads, and grows stronger..."

"So what do we do?" Shadow voiced the unanimous question.

"Good and evil, light and dark, justice and malevolence..." Sonic replied calmly, as if there was no threat at all. "They are all just halves of a greater whole, one cannot exist without the other. Accept this. Accept these feelings of loss, despair and hatred as you own. Know that they are an essential part of yourself that you cannot be rid of, and they will lose their power over you... That is why there isn't a second me here..."

"Wait a minute," Knuckles interjected. "Are you saying that all we have to do is go on a murderous rampage just because we feel like it?"

Sonic laughed, as though we were just friends telling jokes together. "Of course not!" He repeated. "Acceptance and giving in are two different things. Just be sure to stay true to yourself, be it good or evil...

"Although," he continued. "There is little we can do at this stage, save sending the doubles, and the Emeralds into another existence altogether..."

Tails' eyes grew wide. "Is that even possible?" he wondered aloud.

Sonic vanished for the slightest moment, but reappeared almost instantly, having grouped the seven Chaos Emeralds at his feet. "Its essentially the same as Chaos Control," He said. "Only instead of sending yourself through space, just focus on sending your negative energy outward, release it. The combination of the Chaos Emeralds positive energies and your negative, should cause a sort of resonance cascade, eliminating both from this existence entirely."

"NO!" A sharp cry made us all turn towards the source, except for Sonic, whose caring, gentle face suddenly tightened into a determined scowl.

It was the 5 twins, the dark versions of the others, though my double was nowhere to be found...

"No, we will NOT be confined to the darkness again!" they shouted in unison.

Again the ten of them, doubles and originals, paired off and fought with renewed vigor.

But now with Sonic more powerful than ever, the tide of battle had changed...

He seemed to chaos control, suddenly appearing from one fray to another in seconds...

But occasionally, for only the slightest moment, he would pause and glance at me...

I was by far the most combat-inept here, and therefore warranted the most of his focus...

Yet my double was still nowhere to be found...

But then, as he watched me less and less, I heard the voice so similar to mine come from behind me...

"I heard everything..."

I whirled around and fell to my knees in reflexive fear...

She chuckled bitterly. "Relax," she said loud enough for the others to hear, and though their battles continued, there were countless glances at us between attacks. "I could have killed you by now if that was what I wanted...

"But the fact of the matter is... I probably hold the least sway over you than any of the rest of us have over your friends... Because..."

She raised he head to look at me full-on, and her expression was... different...

The sorrow, the suffering, the agony were all still there... But there wasn't a trace of anger or hatred to be found... Only a sad, empty look of acceptance.

"Because you have been more true to yourself than any of the others... hell or high water, no matter what danger it posed to you or your friends, you always followed your heart...

"I just... I wish that I had that freedom, that determination..."

And despite all that had happened, I began to feel sympathy for her, not because she was a part of myself, not because she was regretful...

But because she wanted my life...

Because she so desperately wished for the life I was so willing to throw away mere minutes ago...

A life of joy... But one that was empty without him...

Yet she treasured what I despised, she craved what I took for granted...

Just them, Knuckles' dark side was hurled near us...

And in a flash, I was holding my Chaos Emerald in my hands, as were all the others...

The negative-Tails was soon thrown there as well, followed by all the others as Sonic made one last assault...

"Knuckles!" he called out as the circled the 5 twins, holding them in place. "You know what to do!"

Knuckles thrust the red gem in his hands towards the group of our enemies.

"Chaos control!" he cried out as a beam of crimson flew outward and pinned his twin in place...

"Tails!" Sonic ordered.

"R, Right..." he said uncertainly. "Chaos Control!"

Three more voices, and three more beams took their turns...

Then he cried it out... "Chaos control!" My love shouted, as he hovered over the focus of the rainbow of light, Causing a cobalt geyser of light to fly up from the ground and engulf them all...

"Now, Amy!" he said. "You're the only one left! Do it now!"

But a startling realization dawned on me as I realized the same light that surrounded our foes had encircled Sonic as well...

"But... but Sonic..." I cried, already knowing the answer to my question. "What about you?"

He looked downward at me...

"Amy... there's no time... please..."

"NO!" I screamed, my fear turning into full-fledged hysteria. "You're going with them aren't you!"

The others were shocked, but they too were overcome by the knowledge Sonic and I already shared...

He had to...

He himself was already a manifestation of the emeralds... He really had died... This was nothing left but the residue of his spirit that the Gems had absorbed over the years.

"Amy... I have to go... I don't belong here anymore..."

The colors of light had become a massive, multi-colored blur as the tears had already been falling...

"Then tell me..." I said, my voice shaking. "Answer me one question... You owe me that at least! I've lost you twice already, and now I'm going to lose you again... so please... just tell me..."

"Amy..." he whispered, barely loud enough to hear. "Please... don't do this..."

"I love you..." I said, my courage welling up inside me with the knowledge that it had to be now... If I didn't ask it now... I would never know... "I've always loved you..."

"Amy..." he said again...

"Do you love me too?"

"..."

The silence hung in the air for what seemed to be an eternity...

And again I saw that tear roll down the side of his face...

"No..." he finally said... "... I'm sorry..."

...So that was it... after all my years of loving, of adoration, of worship... I finally knew for certain...

And I fell into a pit of apathy...

I must've fallen literally too, because the world began to roll away from the sight of the energy streams.

"AMY! NO! You need to do this!"

I didn't care... I didn't care if I lived or died... I didn't care what happened to my friends... I didn't care what happened to the world...

Because all meaning was gone from my life...

But a pair of hands caught me, and gently laid me down...

"Don't worry Sonic..." the owner's voice said as it let go of me. "It will be done..."

It was Chaos-Amy...

"It has to..."

She stooped down and took the Emerald from my hands, then walked towards the pillar of light.

But she paused at the base of it...

"I know..." she said gently... "I know because I am part of you... I know there is nothing I can say right now to make the pain go away..."

She turned to face me, and I could see I wasn't the only one who was crying...

"But for what its worth... Remember that, somewhere out there, some small part of you will be with him always, just as a part of him will always be with you..."

She was gripping the Emerald so tightly that a drop of blood fell from her palm...

"Amy..." I began...

But whatever I was going to say, I never got the chance, because she leapt into the fountain of power and I heard those two words for the last time...

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

The blue light suddenly turned a blinding white, filling my eyes despite my reflexively closing them...

A low hum slowly grew into a deafening roar and the very air seemed to shake...

And then, as suddenly as it had started, it was over...

And all was quiet...

Sonic, the six darker-halves and the emeralds were gone... Only a massive crater where they had been remained...

Rouge led the others to me, they were all obviously exhausted with the effort they had shown this day...

But somehow, I was certain my own weariness rivaled theirs...

(One Year Later...)

Here I was again... for the three-hundred-sixty-sixth time...

And it still didn't get any easier...

But it had become a ritual of mine...

A way to help find peace in an otherwise chaotic world...

Just me...

The cliff...

And two roses...

I suppose you could get all psychological, and say that by my throwing my namesake over a cliff, I was symbolically killing myself everyday...

Maybe you'd be right...

Maybe sometimes, the pain of remembering that day was so great I almost leapt off myself...

But it's the least I could do...

I missed him... and despite the fact that he said he didn't love me, my feelings could never change...

In fact, there were times when the only thing that kept me on that cliff was remembering that promise I had made him...

I had done this so many times now, it was almost like my body was on autopilot, and my mind was free to wander in these moments of reverence...

I took the two roses in my hand, and entwined the stems...

"These are for you..." I said... "For you Sonic... and you Amy... I swear to never forget your sacrifice..."

I had then reached the edge, and gazing out towards the sea's horizon, I cast the two flowers as far as I could...

"I hope wherever you are, whatever happened to you...

"I hope in some small way...

"That you are happy..."

THE END

A/N: Just warning you guys, I'm gonna go off on a little rant here, so if you don't wanna put up with it, just skip on ahead to the replies...

Have you ever gotten an idea, one so perfect, so grandiose that, no matter how hard you try, it can never be realized in the way you dreamed? That is how I truly felt about this whole saga... I've said it before, and I'll say it again... I write mostly to help me work out my own personal feeling and experiences...

But somehow "The Need" series was something different... It was more like... I dunno... making art for me rather than writing a story...

Somehow I've never felt that way about my other works before, somehow this one really gripped me and refused to let go... I don't know... I'm a fat slob, I can't draw, paint, sculpt or anything...

I can sing, but trust me, you don't want to go into that...

This has just been such a fantastic creative outlet... despite the fact that no chapter ever came out "just perfect". My only regret is that the perfect story is trapped in my head, and that no one else will ever be able to see it the way I do...

But still I sincerely hope that, in some small way, you enjoyed reading this, I truly cannot thank those who reviewed enough for keeping me focused on this project... it's done more for me than I can ever say...

PHEW! Okay enough mushy stuff, on to the replies...

Kirby-Chan263: Aww shucks, thanks... I'm glad you liked the story up to 9, here's hoping you like the end too (crosses fingers)

JaydenSykehawk: My angst makes your humor! Why didn't you say so! I'd be pumping these chapters out like every week! Seriously though, thanks a ton for sticking through all this, I'm glad you hold me in such high regard, you're DAMN funny, so if you think I'm good, that means a LOT to me bud, thanks! P.S. ARGH! I forgot to wish everyone a happy holidays! (puts on a "grinch" costume.)

kuro-kitsune: Wow... that's nice... uhh... STALKER! (runs off) But thanks for your constant support. And I PROMISE you, (all you readers are witnesses) I WILL re-do "The Truth About Metroids and Space Pirates" (my only Metroid Fic, also my first... SO DON'T READ IT NOW... wait till the re-vamp...) someday, but you know hw slowly I write...

oracle apprentice: Aww, thanks, I read your bio, and I think your idea of an Anti-alliance is a good one, count me in! I've read reviews by the people listed as "suspected alliance members" and the majority of their reviews are hateful, unconstructive, flames. Personally, I think that if you don't like a story, and can't say anything constructive about it (well you're a hypocrite, but) you should just leave it alone... Really, what harm does it cause?

Pink Shimmer: Don't be silly, you can never have TOO much angst (KIDDING! It just gets depressing after a while...). But yeah, I wanted Sonic to have that one last hurrah before the end was through. I hope you (and all the other readers too) enjoyed "The Need" one and two. And let me assure you all, the reason I made sure to explain I have no plans to continue this is to make certain that Sonic stays dead. It's sad, it's dramatic, but I think it makes for a better story...

Spyke the Hedgehog: Yes, I really think that through redemption, sacrifice and effort we can truly be reborn, even if not in this literary sense... (super-powers not included in any spiritual cleansing...)

Daikonran: See? You thought I was exaggerating about my taking forever to upload my fics... But WOW... I LOVED your review... can I hire you to make my synopses? Your summary was pretty much dead-on how I wanted the general attitude of chapter 9 to play out... I'm glad that that much went as planned...

Thalia/RockChick: Well I'm glad you took your time to read this, corny as it may sound, every new review means a LOT to me. I hope you enjoyed the end!

RemedyTheThief: Yeah, it's funny, when I'm reading I hate cliffhangers too, but when I write... It becomes almost... fun... (hides from all the thrown tomatoes) Anywho, I'm really touched chapter 9 resonated so strongly with you, mean I'm doing my job...

Az The Dragon: Yeah, my biggest weakness (least as far as I can tell) is that sometimes I tend to foreshadow a bit too much... But I'm glad you liked my chapter anyway...

Flabbergasted: You missed a chapter! (gets his whip out) Traitor! Nah, you're forgiven because I read all about your airline adventure on your website... Anyway... (reads second review) Wow... and people say I'm dark... But I can see where I may have mislead you on that. This is why I tried to explain the whole positve and negative potential in every person (which I truly do believe BTW... It sound like it'd be fun pondering philosophy with you sometime, though I'd probably just make a maroon of mysell...) so much in the middle of this chapter... But no, just that there are in every person (least I hope so, or I'm REALLY crazy) occasional "evil" thoughts, dreams and desires, that are repressed and ignored, instead of confronted and accepted. The "Chaos Six" or whatever you want to call them, are the Chaos Emerald's physical manifestations of these repressed feelings...

Kitsune Swift: I assure you, I DID finish this chapter as fast as I could, (even though its been more than a month in the making...) but like I already said... something evil in me simply enjoys leaving cliffhangers for my readers... (laughs like a cartoon villain)

Isumo 1489: Oh come on, i can't be the FIRST... can I... really?... wow... But I hope you like the ending, even though I must admit, Shadow's taken more of a backseat here than I originally intended... Sorry... (is chased off by a mob of angry Shadow-fans)

Wow... it's really over... Thanks as usual, a ton to all who read, and a HUGE, GI-NORMOUS thank you to all who reviewed. If you missed it in my rant, I'll say it again. This project has been something... major to me... and EVERY SINGLE REVIEW has just been the sweet icing on the cake.

Thank you all...

thag-the-upset


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